Dance with the Devil
by Thrivingnotsurviving
Summary: What is done, is done: we cannot reverse the clock to reverse our mistakes, no matter how much we would like to. Evelyn has learned from a young age onwards that time with your loved ones is limited. When she makes one disastrous choice on a particular night, she is thrown into a world that does not make any sense anymore. She will fight for her place in this world, or die trying.
1. Prologue

The screaming around me was deafening. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, a voice was whispering that this wasn't real. I wanted to hold onto that thought. I wanted to believe that this was all some kind of joke. Any minute, the cameraman would jump out of the bushes, exclaiming this was just for entertainment purposes, that they had been filming the whole ordeal. However, the pain in my wrists, which were bound tightly behind my back, was a painful reminder of the truth. The sting of where they had hit me, the blood that was soaking through the back of my shirt, confirmed beyond any doubt that my hopes were all in vain. This wasn't a joke. This was real.  
I tried not to focus on the screams of the people around me, tried to block out all of it. The screams, the insults, but most of all, I tried to block out what they were pulling me towards.  
My breath hitched in my throat. Salty tears streamed down my face. My heart was beating so loudly I was sure everyone around me could hear its frantic speed. I clenched my eyes shut at the first sight of what was at the centre of the square I was being led to.  
On second thought, I reopened them, looking up, instead, towards the blue sky above, watching the clouds drift by. Such a beautiful day to die. Another tear escaped, slowly making its way down my cheek and dripping down on the ground. If there is any god out there, any powerful being who holds sway over my faith, then please let them look upon me with mercy. Let them take pity and take me from this place. Back to where I belong.  
A movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I was immediately taken back to the harsh reality. No one was going to save me. No one ever has. No one ever will. I can take care of myself. And so I will. I clenched my hands to fists and focused my attention to the structure in front of me. This will not be my death.

* * *

Hi guys, you can also find this story on Quotev, but I decided to post it here as well for your enjoyment. I would very much enjoy any comments or feedback!


	2. The millionth time

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Whoever thought of that is an idiot, I couldn't help but think as I watched the cops walk up to our house, as I had done a million times before. Even if it was true, you just end up with a ton of lemonade that is of no more use to anyone than the lemons were. Sighing, I followed the movements down on the street. Three police cars, I counted this time. More than the last time. He must have done something more serious this time, then. I stood up as the police approached the door and knocked on it, screaming for someone to open the door. I listened to the voice of my father, as drunk as usual, screaming at them to 'Leave him the fuck alone'. His words, not mine. Immediately after, my brother's calming words, trying to sooth his anger. It didn't work. It never did. I made my way to the hallway as well, looking down the stairs at my father and brother, the former hanging onto the railing of the staircase as if it was the only thing that kept him standing. It probably was. Oliver threw me an exasperated look, clearly out of his depth.  
"Those fucking bastards." He slurred, his left hand bringing the bottle of wine to his lips again. More of the red substance was spilled, dripping down his chin and staining the once-good looking dressing shirt he was wearing. It hurt me to see him like this. So out of touch with the world. I recalled how he used to carry me around on his shoulders when I was younger, always smiling. There was nothing left of the man he used to be. "Nev-er... respect." My brother went to support his weight as dad let go of the staircase, instantly falling over. Another knock on the door.  
"Open this door." They screamed.  
"Thi-is.. my house." He was leaning heavily on my brother, who shushed him.  
"They are here to help. They are doing their job, dad." Oliver spoke as I moved down the stairs without making a sound, trying not to attract dad's attention.  
"I...I... did." Dad spoke. I moved past Oliver and dad, "No, Evelyn..." Dad cried out while my brother was trying to hold him back.  
"It is alright, dad. It is fine." I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. They did this to him. They took away the loving dad I had and turned him into this. Not intentionally, of course, but they did nothing to prevent it either. He served his country, was sent to Afghanistan and came back a different person. Post-traumatic stress disorder. He was fired a month after receiving the diagnosis, was cut off from any support he should have received. And so were my brother and I. With a sigh, I opened the door for the police, trying my hardest not to glare at them as I did. It wasn't their fault, not personally anyway. They just represented another part of the government who failed my dad. Who failed us.  
"Miss..." The police officer eyed me up and down, halting at the level of my breasts with something akin to appreciation in his eyes, before he was pulled backwards by his commander.  
"Show some goddamn respect Jonathan." I smiled at the man before me, glad to see a familiar face. Blaise Williams had always been kind to us, from the moment of our dad's first arrest. If anyone were to take him again, I'd prefer it be him.  
"Ressspect..." Dad slurred in the background, mumbling incoherently afterwards. Blaise looked at him with a frown on his face, nodding towards my brother before turning his attention to me again.  
"Miss Evelyn, I'm terribly sorry this has to happen again." He looked at me with genuine sincerity in his eyes. I simply nodded.  
"I understand." And I did. "You are just doing your job." Blaise sighed deeply before turning to Jonathan and nodding his head to the hallway as a sign to arrest him.  
"What is it this time," I dared ask.  
"Assault." He simply answered, giving me one last look that spoke of the pity he felt for me, before moving in to help restrain my dad.  
"NO." He screamed, thrashing wildly with his arms. "You.. yo-.. you cannot." Oliver ducked out of the way. The wine that was left in the bottle was splattered across the room as the bottle hit the ground and broke into a thousand little pieces.  
"Dad," I tried to reason with him, "Please don't resist." It was useless, I was almost certain he didn't even hear me. Oliver moved to stand beside me, watching as they struggled against our father, eventually forcing him to the ground, as he screamed and thrashed. Handcuffs were clicked around his wrists and within minutes, they had already led him to the police car. Blaise turned to us one last time, nodding his head as a goodbye and a silent apology. Oliver pulled me away from the door. I could just see the cars leaving, taking our father away for the millionth time, before the door closed.  
"Let's get some dinner." Oliver said solemnly, leading me to the kitchen.


	3. Money often costs too much

There was not much in the fridge that we could cook with, so we simply put some water on the boil and found some dry rice in one of the cabinets. Although we tried to spend money as sparingly as possible, it was nearing the end of the month and our funds were running low, particularly because dad kept spending it on alcohol.  
"There is still some tomato-sauce." Oliver held up a can of canned tomatoes. "And some onions."  
"Onions, tomatoes and rice it is." I sighed, forcing a smile on my face. It was the same thing almost every day. We knew it wasn't healthy, but there wasn't much we could do about it. In a week's time, both Oliver and I would receive our salary. I couldn't help but feel that it was easier when dad wasn't around: it made it much easier to buy actual food. Immediately, I felt bad for thinking it. Oliver glanced at me, realizing within a second what I had been thinking about.  
"I know, Evelyn. It doesn't make you a bad person to think about it," Oliver walked up to me and kissed the top of my head, trying to comfort me.  
"It does, though. He is our father." I took a deep breath, shaking slightly and trying to calm myself down. Tears were once again threatening to spill over, but I refused to give into that sadness. We had to get through this and crying won't make it go away.  
"Can you put the rice in," I spoke instead, noticing how the water was boiling by now. Oliver gave me one look, before nodding and turning towards the stove. Oliver understood that I wouldn't talk about it if I didn't want to and so he let me be. I took our one -sort of blunt- kitchen knife and started cutting the onion. After a couple of minutes, our make-shift dinner was ready and we sat down on the couch in the living room, as we lacked an actual dinner table. Priorities had to be set. A kitchen table was not one of them. After eating in silence for a couple of minutes, Oliver put down his plate, sighing deeply before his eyes met mine again.  
"We got another bill today." He eventually spoke. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the harsh reality of our not having any money. I opened my eyes after a couple of seconds, noticing the tenseness of Oliver's body.  
"How much?"  
"More than we have." Oliver looked down at his hands. "We have to pay it within a week." Of course we had to pay it just before either of us would receive the money. Perhaps I could ask for some of it to be given in advance. Mrs Johnson wasn't that strict with payments anyway, so I doubt she would mind. When I told Oliver, he shook his head.  
"We need the money for our water bill next month, not to mention we haven't had money to buy a decent meal in two weeks. It wouldn't help." I knew he was right. We needed more money, we were always one step behind the bills, having come close to being kicked out of our home several times already.  
"Mrs Johnson offered me... some other work." I mentioned, looking down at my lap as I did, realizing full well that Oliver didn't like my being a stripper and would never agree to the work Mrs. Johnson had in mind. Indeed, I could feel his eyes burning on me.  
"No."  
"Oliver, it would pay well," I reasoned halfheartedly. I didn't want to do it. Truly, I didn't. I had little issue with stripping, sometimes even feeling a slight bit of confidence as I would swirl around the pole. However, the looks of some of the men would sometimes disgust me, but it paid the bills - to some extent at least. It was better paid than any other job I could possibly do as a high school student. Taking it one step further, however... I wasn't sure whether I could do it.  
"Look me in the eye and tell me you are okay with selling your body to men thrice your age." Oliver challenged, knowing full well I couldn't do that. "I don't want this for you, Evelyn. I would never sacrifice your own self-worth and happiness for some extra bucks." I looked up at him, smiling slightly, happy that I had a brother who cared, yet worried how else we would get the money.  
"You are also not going to work any extra shifts, Eve. You are in your final year, your grades are good enough to get a scholarship for a university. I don't want you to lose out on this chance." He got closer to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "This is your chance to get out. To get a better life." I nodded, knowing he was right. I wanted to get into college. I wanted a way out of this vicious circle of poverty.  
"How are we going to pay those bills then?"  
"I will find a way. I'll get another job." I didn't like the sound of that. He already worked nearly all day, starting his shift at the post office at 7 am and immediately going to his job at a nearby restaurant at night. "Don't worry about it, Eve. I promise it will all be fine."  
I wasn't sure whether I believed him, but one look at the clock also told me I didn't have much time to argue with him. I had to leave for work in a couple of minutes. Oliver squeezed my shoulders in support before he let go off me and I stood up.  
"I'll clean up." He said with finality before I could offer. I smiled slightly on my way to my room to pack my bag with the essentials. Oliver felt a huge responsibility to take care of the both of us, taking on that role ever since mum divorced dad, right after he had come back from Afghanistan, when Oliver was 15 and I 12. Mum didn't even really divorce him. She simply left from one day to the next, never even saying goodbye. She left us, even though she knew dad was in no state to take care of us. She left because she couldn't take it anymore. Anger and disappointment boiled inside of me, even after 5 years. I had never truly gotten over it. Apparently, we hadn't been enough to convince her to stay. It was her selfishness that drove her away. Deep down, I knew that, but I also couldn't help but blame myself. Had I been a better child, would she have stayed? I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. It didn't matter. She didn't matter. Right now, what mattered was getting myself to my job and earning money. Even though Oliver believed he should carry all the responsibility, I knew he couldn't. We needed each other.


	4. Nothing worth having is easy

I threw one look in the mirror, quickly brushing through my hair. I wasn't a big fan of make-up, but I knew what was expected of me, so I grabbed the make-up bag. I didn't have time to do it now, but I would have sometime before the show began to put it on. I dumped the make-up in my bag, quickly putting a change of clothes and some deodorant in there as well, before running down the stairs.  
"Bye." I screamed to Oliver after quickly putting on my shoes and running out the door. The sun was shining down on me, warming my face. It truly was a beautiful day, but I didn't have any time to enjoy it. I brushed past the people that were busy talking on their phones, the men and women in suits, never smiling, not appreciating the life they had, the college students, complaining about the financial hardships they were facing. My jaw clenched as I heard two friends talking about how broke they were, as they were sipping their 8 bucks Starbucks coffee and carrying their 100 dollar bags. I tried to ignore the annoyance and jealousy that was rising deep inside me. It wasn't their fault they had always had an easy life. I should be happy for there not just being injustice and hardships in this world, yet I couldn't. I knew it was petty, but I was extremely jealous of the life they lived, the life they didn't value as they should. What I wouldn't give to swap places.  
One look at my own phone, the cheapest model I could find, told me I was running late, so I sped up my pace, doing my best to avoid any collisions with the other pedestrians.  
After fifteen minutes, I finally made it to Mrs Johnson's establishment, 'The Hopping Bunnies', which was a terrible name if you ask me. I got a few dirty looks as I walked up to the door, and I simply looked back in defiance, challenging the woman who was looking at me with clear disgust in her eyes to say something. When she finally looked away, whispering something to her friend, I entered the building. Immediately, the musky scent of arousal, sweat and alcohol washed over me. I never did get used to that smell, nor will I ever I expect.  
"Ahh, Destiny." Mrs Johnson walked up to me, using my stage name, "You will start in 10 minutes, go get ready." Her grey eyes clearly disapproved of the lack of make-up on my face. Mrs Johnson was an incredibly stern woman expecting nothing but perfection from the girls in her service. I didn't doubt she made tons of money, as the club was always packed every evening. Although she pushed hard, she was as fair of a woman as could be expected, giving us relatively high wages for the work we did, hiring good security guys and always taking our side whenever a client went too far. On the other hand, she did hire underage girls, catering to her audience that preferred teenagers over older women. She hired me a year and a half ago, when I turned sixteen and was in dire need of a job. No one ever checked our age, though. No one cared enough. I nodded to her and made my way to the dressing rooms as I had done a dozen times before. The three other girls I would share my shift with were already there. Natalie, whose stage name 'Raven' referred to her jet black hair, was currently in the process of putting on her bra. Sophie, known as 'Tiffany' in this establishment, was doing her make-up without any clothes on, not bothered by the rest of us seeing her body. No one really had any shame anymore, I suppose. We had seen each other naked quite some times by now. Meanwhile, Lily, coined 'Crystal' by Mrs Johnson, was struggling with her costume. She looked up as I entered, offering me a smile before returning to her task of lacing up the tight corset.  
I told myself I was grateful for the job, which was true, but I couldn't help but feel a certain emptiness as I got ready for three hours of being looked at as if I was a piece of meat. The sneering comments of the men always got to me. I reminded myself of why I did this. I had to take care of myself and Oliver. Besides, tonight wouldn't be too bad, I was assigned to the pole, which was my favorite. It was like a work-out, with a sexy undertone I suppose. It made me feel better, as I worked my muscles and could use my strength. It made me feel more confident than when I would have to give private dances to someone.  
"Good luck today," Sophie and Natalie left the room and went upstairs as I finished my make-up.  
"You want me to wait," Lily had finished lacing up the corset and smiled kindly.  
"No, it is alright, I'll be there in a minute." She nodded and left the room as well. I put the fake lashes on and gave myself a look-over. The lingerie I was expected to wear was a burgundy red, contrasting starkly with my pale skin. Mrs Johnson had also given me a flowy, mostly see-through jumpsuit this time. I tied the straps loosely around my neck, as to ensure I wouldn't have any difficulties taking it off during the dance. The neckline plunged all the way to my belly button, exposing most of the bra I was wearing underneath, yet also leaving some to the imagination.  
'Always leave some to be desired,' Mrs Johnson would often say, 'If you give them what they want immediately, they lose interest.' And men losing interest meant bad business. I forced a smile on my face before walking up the stairs towards the main stage, where I would be performing for most of the evening.


	5. Motivation comes from within

The club had only been open for 15 minutes, and they were already drunk. I knew by how loud they were being. I blocked out the sounds as I walked onto the stage, focusing instead on the smooth pole a few meters away, in the middle of the room. I saw the men crowding around the stage, slurping their beer and jeering loudly, but I pretended they were part of the decor. I plastered a smile on my face as my hands gripped the cold metal of the pole. They screamed to take my clothes of, but I continued smiling, twirling down the pole slowly, letting me head fall backwards, exposing the skin of my neck.  
'Always start slow' Mrs Johnson's echoed in my head. 'Make them yearn for more'. And so I did, swirling sensually around the pole, simply walking around it, recalling the steps I was taught for this routine. As the music intensified, I gripped the pole more strongly, using my arms to pull myself to the top of the pole, before sticking out one leg and using the other to glide down. The lights flashed on and off and I saw the men starting to throw dollars onto the stage as my hands went to the back of my neck to untie the straps. There was loud cheering as the jumpsuit fell in a puddle at my feet.

After the first number, I went down to the dressing room again, quickly putting on my next outfit. There was no one else there, so I took my time in washing the sweat off and then putting on a nurse outfit. I cannot imagine they truly enjoy this, but who am I to question them. There were only three more numbers to go, so I went upstairs again, recalling the next routine in my head, making sure I would get it right. Mrs Johnson expected perfection and nothing but perfection, after all.

Finally, at a quarter past midnight, my shift was over and I got dressed to go home. Natalie and Lily were still out there doing lapdances and Sophie had already left, so I had the entire dressing room to myself. Or so I thought.  
"You did well." My heart skipped a beat at the sudden sound and I quickly turned around, to come face to face with Mrs Johnson. Immediately, my heartbeat calmed again. "Next time, make eye contact with them, though. Taunt them." She walked up to me, her eyes never leaving my face. "Make them feel like they are the only man who has your attention. If you make them feel special, they will pay more." I simply nodded, knowing better than to argue with her.  
"Your tips for today." Mrs Johnson handed me a small paper bag before turning towards the exit, undoubtedly going to check on the others.  
"Thank you." I told her before she left the room. I looked inside the bag, there were about 50 1 dollar bills in there, as well as a couple of fives. Not more than 100 all together, I assumed. It wasn't too bad. I put the small bag in my bag and put on my coat. I would have to hurry home to get as much sleep as possible before school tomorrow.

The cold air send shivers down my spine as soon as I set a foot outside the club. There were much fewer people than before, so there was no one to throw me dirty looks for working in a strip club, although those same people were completely fine with the men going there to enjoy themselves. I hugged my arms close to my body to retain as much body heath as possible as I walked back home. I passed a couple of homeless people and ignored them completely, wishing I could help them, but knowing I was powerless to do so. They were just a symptom of a broken system, of a government that fails the people it is supposed to protect. And so I walked on, keeping my head low. The neighbourhood we lived in wasn't one of the best. It is what made it affordable, but it is also what made me uncomfortable in walking home alone. Oliver had offered to pick me up after work, but I knew he needed his sleep as much as I did, if not more so. For that reason, I declined his offer most of the times, often regretting it as soon as I made my way home, feeling unsafe. Nothing has ever happened, I kept on telling myself as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight and my paranoia caught up with me. Even if it was something else, you can defend yourself, I tried telling myself next, speeding up.

Eventually, I made my way home, opening the door as quietly as I could, before closing it and locking it with my key. Oliver was asleep already, I hoped, so I tried to keep the noise to a minimum when going up the stairs and walking to my bedroom. My bedroom door creaked slightly as I opened it, but not enough to have woken Oliver. Exhausted from the day's events, I took off my clothes and put on my pyjama before setting the alarm. Finally, I collapsed on my bed. I couldn't sleep however, as I kept thinking of the way they forced dad to the ground as they arrested him. I couldn't get the way he was dragged to the cars out of my head. Sighing deeply, I turned to lay on my side. There was nothing I could do, but that made me feel even worse. Not being able to help the ones you love, watching them slide away into nothingness, is the worst feeling in the world. I clenched my eyes shut, forcing myself to think of something else, anything else than the image of my dad in a cold dark holding cell at the police station. Finally, I felt the darkness become too strong to ignore and allowed myself to drift to sleep.


	6. Hard Work and Good Grades

My alarm woke me too soon. Groaning, I grabbed my phone, turning it off, before getting out of bed. There was no time to linger in the warmth and comfort of my bed. It was time to face the day. I stretched out, feeling my muscles burn from the rigorous exercise on the pole yesterday.  
"You up?" Oliver knocked on the door.  
"Yes, I'll be down in a second." I answered, before bending over and stretching my legs as well, which felt good and painful at the same time.  
"I'm heading out now," one look at the clock told me it was only 5.45, "I took over from Russell, so I will be working from 6:00 till 18.00 today." I clenched my eyes shut, knowing he was overworking himself.  
"You shouldn't work so hard..." I told him, sorting through the clothes in my closet.  
"It's alright, Eve," I could hear the smile in his voice, "See you tonight."  
"See you tonight." I quickly put on a pair of jeans and a sweater, brushed my hair and packed my bag. School didn't start for another 2 hours, but I always walked there, as I didn't have a car and public transport was expensive. Out of habit, I walked up to the couch in the living room, intending to wake-up dad and get some solid food into him, before recalling what happened yesterday. Immediately, a pang of sadness shot through me. He was at a cold police station, probably freaking out, re-living whatever he saw in Afghanistan while going through signs of withdrawal. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat. It was outside of my power, I told myself. Throwing one more look at the empty couch, I forced myself to focus on getting ready and walked into the kitchen.

Eating a cracker with some butter on it made me realize once more how badly we needed to do some grocery shopping. As I ate my limited breakfast, I finished the last of my homework. Oliver was right, my grades were extremely high, I had already applied to multiple colleges and scholarships, including some of the Ivy league schools. I knew I was aiming incredibly high, but I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. My grades were excellent, my motivation letter was one of the best the councilor at school had ever read and my determination was unparalleled. The first round of tests were coming up soon and I had already studied for 5 months, dead-set on giving it my best. Even if I wouldn't get into Harvard or Yale, I would be accepted at another university: of that I was sure. I was going to get a better life. I would earn enough to support Oliver as well, ensuring he would finally have some time to live his life. I would earn enough to pay for dad's treatment.  
If it wasn't too late by then... I immediately pushed the treacherous thought away. I couldn't give up on him. I refused to give up on him.

After finishing the cracker and cleaning up the kitchen, I grabbed my coat and bag, ensuring I had everything I needed for a day at school -and work tonight, in case I decided to go to the library instead of home after school- and headed out. I took a deep breath, enjoying the peace and quiet of a world that was not yet awake.

An hour later, I finally arrived at the school gates, where William was waiting for me. He was the perfect boyfriend, some would argue: tall, handsome and sweet. He always waited for me before going inside, regardless of how long he would stand there. After he did that once in the pouring rain, I became mad at him and told him he had to take better care of himself. He simply smiled and told me I was worth it all.  
"Hello darling." He pecked me on my lips and I smiled back at him as he wrapped his arm around me and led me towards the building.  
"You seem to be in a good mood." He smiled as I said that, dimples appearing in his cheeks, his baby blue eyes shining with joy.  
"I won the essay competition."  
"That is amazing." I drew him into a hug, congratulating him. "So what is the prize again?"  
"Nothing much, mostly the honour of receiving a trophy and giving a speech in front of the entire school." He rolled his eyes, "As if anyone is going to listen to a word I have to say."  
"I will." I told him without missing a beat, looking him pointedly in his eyes, "So you better say some things that make sense, Will." I tried to look intimidating, but didn't manage to hold my straight face for long as William burst out in laughter and hugged my body closer to his.  
"Hmm..." He smiled, before his eyes moved down to my lips and he kissed me again. It was just a few seconds, but I could feel the question and the desire behind it. We had been dating for almost four months now and William had wanted to take our relationship to the next level for quite some time now. He respected that I wasn't ready yet, but that didn't make him less disappointed. I didn't know why I hesitated: he was near perfect in almost every aspect of the word. He was at the top of his class, a star rugby player and incredibly handsome. All the other girls at school were jealous of me and would have given him his wish a long time ago. But I couldn't, for some reason, which made me feel guilty.  
"So how are you doing on this wonderful day." My smiled fell a tiny bit as he spoke those words, being brought back to the reality of my father being in prison once again. "I'm sorry." He immediately spoke after asking the question.  
"It's fine, Will, truly. It's just that my dad was arrested again yesterday."  
"Shit, I'm sorry. And here I am bragging about some competition that doesn't even mat..." I slapped his arm before he could finish that sentence.  
"Don't you dare say it doesn't matter, it does, Will. And I'm really happy for you. The colleges will be fighting over you." I forced a smile as he laughed.  
"I know you are hurt, Evi. You might be able to hide it from everyone else, but I can see it." I sighed, knowing he was right, but not in the mood to talk about it.  
"It was bound to happen again." I simply said. William nodded, clearly catching onto the vibe that I didn't want to say anything else.  
"One day, the system will change, and these things won't happen anymore." He spoke, always the optimist. I wasn't as sure: throughout human history there were those who had power and those who did not. Never had it ever worked out well for the latter group. Instead of speaking out my doubts, I simply nodded, not wanting to ruin his happiness more than I already had.  
"First period will start soon," I said instead, "I will see you in the break." I smiled, making it the most convincing one yet, and William seemed to believe it as he kissed me once more and ran off in the opposite direction, towards the B building. I couldn't help but smile a genuine smile as I saw him jogging off, realizing how lucky I was to have him.


	7. Wealth is the freedom not to worry

During lunch, I sat by William and his friends, munching on an apple -the cheapest option in the cafeteria. William took one look at it and pushed his fries towards me as well. I smiled in acknowledgment, feeling a slight tingly feeling at the kindness he showed me.  
"So, are we going to your house tonight?" I heard someone ask William, who had wrapped an arm around my waist, caressing the skin of my waist through the fabric of my sweater.  
"Actually, I was planning on spending the afternoon with Eve," He looked to me, smiling. I couldn't say no. I did have a shift tonight, but that should be fine. I had brought all of my stuff anyway, as I expected to study at the library today after school.  
"Sure," I was certain William wouldn't mind studying for a bit first. He knew the selection procedure was coming up and I wanted to get in. I wanted to become a doctor and help the people in one of the most fundamental ways possible: by improving their health.  
The bell rang, indicating the end of the break. Everyone got up and made their way – very loudly I might add – to their respective classes. Will kissed me once, telling me to meet him at the parking lot after class.

The rest of the day was uneventful. I was as attentive as possible, trying to soak up as much information as I could, enjoying school. After my classes ended, I walked outside, sitting down at one of the tables. My phone showed no new messages. I had hoped to have had some update on Dad's status. Was he still being kept at the police station? Were they going to press charges? Part of me hoped that they did, for the possibility of him getting some help in fighting his addiction and receiving help for his condition, however small the chance. The other side of me, however, was far more realistic. A trial would be the end for Dad: he would end up in prison. No jury would take pity on him: we didn't have any money for a good lawyer who could convince them of the love for his country, his bravery in a war that ruined his life. A war that should not have been his to fight in the first place. They would see an unwashed, slurring drunk and condemn him on the spot. Sighing, I send Oliver a message, asking whether he had heard anything yet. I forced all of the horrible thoughts out of my head, telling myself not to worry about it now. We'd fight that battle when it is here. No use in stressing out over all the possibilities. So, I checked the time, which read 14.56, and grabbed my bag, pulling out my history book. William had class until 16, so I still had an hour to kill before he would be done. I opened my book, reading about the discovery of the Americas and the horrid journey across the sea before people realized the importance of micro-nutrients. We would be tested in a week's time and I was determined to get an A+.

I was so engrossed in my book that I didn't notice anyone sneaking up on me. When two hands were placed on my shoulders, I gasped, panic overtaking me and my instincts kicking in. Using my book as a weapon to fend off the aggressor, I turned and brought it down on the person behind me with as much force as I could muster. Believe me, I had quite some strength. Pole dancing tends to do that to your muscles. Not to mention the (kick)boxing workshops that Mrs Johnson would force me and the other girls to take twice a week – imagine the shame of one of the girls being a bit chubby. William could only just duck out of the way. He was laughing loudly, even when I hit him the face with the book, using much less strength this time.  
"Don't do that. You are going to give me a heart attack someday." I scolded, but he didn't stop laughing, his entire body shaking and trembling. I rolled my eyes, fighting the smile that was forming on my lips, refusing to give into his bad sense of humor.  
"Idiot," I mumbled, not really meaning it.  
"Sorry." He apologized, trying to hold back his laughter. He coughed, covering up another fit of laughter, before grabbing my hand and pulling me with him.  
"Our noses aren't going to be stuck in the books the entire day, right?" He smirked at me at which I, once again, rolled my eyes.  
"No," I smiled as I sped up to walk in line with him, "Just until I have to leave for work around 19." I joked, smirking as he rolled his eyes. He hummed, waving to a couple of his friends before searching for the keys to his old Volvo in his pockets.  
"You should really find a better place for your keys," I commented as he searched his left coat pocket for the third time. Frustration was clearly written on his face and he threw me a half-annoyed look. For all of his intelligence, good looks and kindness, he was a mess when it came to organization, whether it was his notes, his clothes or his keys: he never knew where he had placed them. More than once, I tried to get him to put his stuff in a particular place each time, but that never lasted long.  
"Got it." He smiled victoriously and pressed the button in the middle, opening the car.  
"After you, m'lady." He gave me a mock-bow, gesturing to his car. I simply laughed and got in. As William made his way to the car as well, I quickly checked my messages, to see whether there was any news from dad.  
There wasn't. Just one message from Oliver that said he hadn't heard anything from dad yet either and would be working late. I frowned, annoyance washing over me, as well as a sense of gratitude. The same weird mixture of emotions I always felt when Oliver was taking on too many responsibilities in the name of providing for us.  
"Something wrong?" William asked, putting the car in the first gear and slowly backing out of the parking spot.  
"No, just Oliver overworking himself again." I admitted.  
"I understand." He didn't though. William came from relative wealth, his parents owning one of the more successful cafes in town. Sure, he wasn't so rich that he had a butler and a cook, but he never had to live under the constant strain of poverty either. At times it was difficult to explain the impact of it on my well-being. It wasn't his fault, it was just hard. Sighing, I put my phone away again, plastering a smile on my face as William drove us to his house.


	8. Time shall reveal all secrets

"Are you sure you do not know that book by heart already," William mocked as he saw me going through the same pathophysiology book for the second or third time. I rolled my eyes.  
"That is kind of the point, is it not?" I answered, not looking up from the description of corneal xerosis and keratomalacia, the later stages of vitamin A deficiency. William craned his neck to look over my shoulder.  
"Holy shit, what is that." He looked at the pictures, which showed an eye with a yellow bulge on the iris and the white of the eye completely reddened and angry-looking. William looked absolutely disgusted.  
"Hmm, that would be keratomalacia. As a result of severe, chronic vitamin A deficiency, there is partial liquefaction of the cornea." I stated matter-of-factly.  
"This is why I do not want to become a medical doctor." William shook his head and sat down next to me on the couch, seemingly in thought. I simply continued making notes.  
"What vegetables contain vitamin A exactly?" One look at his face told me he was genuinely afraid of getting that particular deficiency. I smirked at the terror in his eyes and couldn't help but laugh.  
"There is no need to worry, Will, it is mostly a problem in low-income countries." I closed my book and put it in my bag, knowing I wouldn't be able to focus on my studies anymore, now that William seemed dead-set on talking. Couldn't say I minded. Perhaps he was right, we had been studying for two hours now and both of us could use a break. "Besides, as soon as your eye starts looking a bit foamy, I'm pretty sure your parents would rush you to the doctor."  
"Or I could just ask my girlfriend," He smirked, closing the space between our lips and kissing me softly. I enjoyed his lips on mine and kissed him back in fervor. His hands fell to my hips, pulling me on his lap. Our kiss soon heated up with William squeezing the flesh of my thighs and my hands tangled in his blond tresses. We broke apart when we heard the door fall closed. I got off his lap and sat down next to him, just in time for his parents to enter.  
"Hello, William, Evelyn." William's mother walked over to me and I stood up to answer her hug, "How are you dear? Will you be joining us for dinner?" I smiled at the genuine kindness. William's mother was one of the most caring people I had ever met, always ready to give some heart-felt advice and listen to any struggles you might be facing.  
"She will, mum." Will spoke. Her eyes glided to her son for a second, before focusing on me once more and her smile broadened, clearly happy to have another person at the dinner table.  
"You are still studying hard?"  
"Yes, I really want to get in." She nodded in response, squeezing my shoulders slightly for a second.  
"And you will. They would be lucky to have you." She spoke before going into the kitchen with her husband, who nodded to me as a way of greeting. He was much less open with his feelings than his wife, yet incredibly supportive nonetheless. I smiled back, ignoring the voice in my head that told me I used to have this kind of loving family as well, before everything fell to ruins. William stood up from the couch as well, taking my hand in his and gesturing to go upstairs, to his room. I smiled in return and followed him up the stairs.

William POV

I tightened my fingers around hers, enjoying their smoothness. Evelyn's face scrunched up at the sight of the messiness of my room. "I truly could never understand how you live in this." She released my hand and cautiously stepped over a pile of books as theatrically as possible. She had always had a tendency for drama. If ever she failed her medical career, she could always give acting a go. As I told her that, she snorted very loudly, making me laugh.  
"Let's hope that day never comes. Remember that play in third grade?" She giggled. "Why they gave me the lead, I will never know, but that was honestly a disaster." Her laugh was beautiful and I couldn't help but join in. It wasn't as bad as she made it out to be, in my opinion, but a career in acting was definitely not the way to go for her.  
"Glad we agree on something." I smirked as she hit me playfully on my arm. I abused that opportunity to grab her hand and pull her closer to me, intend on continuing what we started downstairs before my parents decided to have the worst timing in history.  
"Hmm," Evelyn's eyes glanced at my lips and I grinned. Her arms wound themselves around my neck as mine found her waist. She was absolutely gorgeous, with her emerald green eyes and golden-brown hair. I would be lying if I said I didn't want her and so I gave into the desire and crushed my mouth to hers.

Evelyn POV  
During our make-out session, we had somehow ended up on his bed with me on top. Will's hands were roaming over the bare skin of my back and I was unbuttoning his shirt, feeling the warmth radiating from his chest. I moved my hips over his, enjoying the way he groaned and tugged on my lips in response. However, when he moved to the zipper of my jeans, I stopped him, shaking my head slightly.  
"I'm not ready." I told him sitting up straight. His eyes closed, obviously displeased and I felt guilty for a couple of seconds, before reminding myself it wouldn't be any fun if I did not feel comfortable. I allowed Dan to push me into going all the way a year ago, and I hadn't enjoyed myself. I wasn't going to make the same mistake. Will opened his eyes again, nodding once and sitting up to peck my lips. Although he clearly wanted to go further, he respected my wishes. A phone buzzed on the other side of the bed and William reached over to grab it. It turned out to be mine. Before I could take it from his hands, I saw William's eyebrows furrow in confusion. Immediately after an emotion I did not recognize flashed in his eyes, before he turned to me, a look of disgust on his face.  
"Wha..."  
"Would it help if I give you a couple of dollars?" He spat, throwing my phone in my hands and pushing me off of him and the bed. My back hurt as I landed on the ground, but I ignored it as I sat up and turned on my phone's screen. My eyes fell to the message.  
_'Raven is ill, Mrs Johnson wants you here as soon as possible to man the pole.' _  
No. I clenched my eyes shut.  
"Tell me it isn't true." I had never heard such disgust in his voice, never such anger. Part of me understood, but the other part was furious at him judging me for it. He knew that Oliver and I were struggling to get by.  
"It is the only thing that pays the bills." I reasoned, "It is just stripping." I halfheartedly added, knowing it was of no use: there was no way William would accept this. I had always known, hence why I didn't tell him about my job in the first place. William scoffed. Getting off of the bed himself.  
"Fucking whore." He shouted, grabbing my wrists and pulling me up, very harshly. I didn't even think twice before I had slapped him square in his face. A pained sound came over his lips and his hand immediately flew to his cheek, feeling at the place that was no doubt going to be bruised tomorrow.  
"I'm not a whore." I hissed. He cocked his eyebrows.  
"You show your tits for a couple of dollars." That hurt. I liked William. A lot. I could handle the disgust from strangers very well, but hearing William say it filled me with sadness.  
"Which is better than being homeless, wouldn't you agree." I grabbed my bag, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. I knew he wouldn't like it, but I wasn't expecting this amount of disgust from him. He looked at me as if I wasn't worthy of even breathing the same air as he did. He tried to grab my sweater, but I darted out of the way.  
"Get out of my house, you fucking slut." He yelled at me and I walked towards the door.  
"As if I want to stay." I answered, sadness and anger overwhelming me. I felt only a little bit bad for slamming the door behind me, before storming downstairs.  
"Evelyn." William's mother took one look at my tear-filled eyes, "What is wrong, darling." I simply shook my head, put on my coat and ran out of the doors without saying a word.  
"Evelyn!" She called after me.


	9. Don't seek happiness where you lost it

I refused to cry, I had shed enough tears over him. That didn't mean it didn't hurt. I liked William; his kindness and the dimples in his cheek when he would laugh, the pranks that he would sometimes pull on my and the support he showed me throughout the entire process of my applications. I took a shaky breath, making my way over to the Hopping Bunnies. Had I not needed the money so badly, I would have called in sick, but I did, so I put on my big girl panties, took a deep breath and emptied my mind of any unnecessary thoughts. Right now, I needed to focus. That was easier said than done, however. My mind kept running the scene over. William overreacted and perhaps I did as well, but I couldn't help but defend myself. A few passerbys shot me a look, but simply walked on, not wanting to get involved with the most-likely terrible looking girl with tear-stained cheeks. I had half a mind to call Emily, one of my closest friends, but thought better off it. Her grandmother had passed away a couple of days ago and I did not want to place an even greater burden upon her. She had other things to worry about now than my relationship issues. Because that is what they were: just relationship issues (and the possibility that my dad was going to be locked up). I cursed my mind for bringing that up again and instead grabbed my phone from my bag, plugging in the earphones. Perhaps some music could distract me and cheer me up enough to get through this evening. After my shift, I would allow myself to wallow in self-pity before going to bed. Scrolling through the music, I selected a more up-beat pop song, hoping it would help in lightening my mood.  
"You are just overreacting," I told myself, "It is just a boy. It doesn't matter." I repeated it like a mantra as I listened to Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off', which was quite appropriate given the situation, I supposed.  
"In 10 years time, you will look back on this moment and laugh." I wasn't very good at convincing myself of that little statement, I never did share William's optimism. Another pang of sadness. There we go again, I had the urge to roll my eyes at myself for acting so emotional over a boy.

After half an hour, I made it to the front door, completely ignoring the looks of people this time, uncaring of their opinions. I would never see them again and if I did, it would only fuel my determination to prove them wrong: to get into med school, get my degree and show that I was worthy.  
"You look terrible." Sophie greeted me at the entrance, pulling me into a hug when she saw my teary eyes, realizing this wasn't a joking matter. "Are you alright?" I just nodded my head.  
"It's just..." I tried to find a word for the feelings I was currently experiencing, after having seen my father dragged off to the police station – again – and then being called a whore and slut by the person that I actually liked. A person that normally supported me and had always shown me nothing than kindness. I settled upon "A lot."  
Sophie looked me over in worry, before telling me I could go home if I desired, she would cover for me. I smiled, squeezing her hand and taking one more deep breath.  
"I'll be fine, I promise." She looked doubtful, but knew better than to argue. If both Raven and I would not show up, Mrs Johnson might lash out on her.  
"You want to talk about it?" Sophie suggested as we made our way to the dressing rooms to get ready for tonight – and possibly rearrange the schedule as we were missing one girl. I shook my head and Sophie nodded in response, realizing that pushing me for details would be counterproductive.  
"I know we are not best friends, but I'm here for you." She told me before opening the door to the dressing room and slipping inside.

After a very long shift, I was finally done at 1 in the morning. My legs ached and my head hurt from the loud music. Not to mention I felt empty inside from the day's events. All I wanted was to go home and forget all about my worries for a couple of hours. I took my phone from the charger in the dressing room and checked the messages. Just one message from Oliver.  
_My shift at the restaurant just ended. Do you want me to meet you half-way? _  
It was send only a couple of minutes ago. I smiled tiredly, before sending a response.  
_Yes, that would be amazing, leaving now. See you soon. _  
It would be great to have some time to talk to Oliver. I needed a hug and the thought of seeing Oliver in a couple of minutes lifted my spirits a little bit. As I walked home, a feeling of being watched crept up on me, however. The unease intensified with every step I took. My heartbeat increased as my paranoid mind imagined threats in every shadowy alleyway. I sped up my pace, knowing that nothing would happen, but adrenaline forcing me to take action either way. When I looked behind me, I swear I spotted a shadowy figure that also increased its pace. I swallowed before turning my head forward again and deciding to break out into a sprint. Normally I was paranoid when walking home, but this was on another level entirely: my gut told me something was seriously wrong this time. My eyes shifted quickly from right to left, which made me realize that there was no one on the street except for a few sleeping homeless people. No one else but me and the creepy figure behind me. Adrenaline made me forget all about the aching muscles in my legs and arms as I ran as fast as I could. It proved to not be enough. I screamed when I felt a hand grab my shoulder roughly, yanking me backwards.


	10. Instinct is a marvelous thing

Immediately, I fought back, my fist colliding sharply with the jaw of my aggressor, who groaned in pain and tried to grab my arm. I tried to knee him in the groin, but he saw it coming and stepped out of the way. A punch landed in my stomach, making me double over, coughing loudly. My lungs burned.  
"Fuck." I managed to say, before I was yanked upwards by my hair.  
"Exactly what I was planning on doing." The voice rang a bell, but before my brain could try to figure it out, I planted a knee in the man's groin. This time, I was quick enough and he didn't have time to evade it. A shocked, pained sound came over his lips, before he cursed. In that second, I tried to run away, but I was kicked harshly against a trashcan, which buried itself into my flesh, surely leaving a nasty bruise. Somewhere, my mind found it appropriate to think of how displeased Mrs Johnson would be with that. I could only just move out of the way of a punch that was thrown my way and would surely have knocked me out.  
I kicked wildly wherever I could hit him. A few pained sounds told me I had at least gotten some hits in. The figure fell to the ground when I placed a strong kick on his right knee.  
"You fucking bitch." He heaved, "You are going to pay for that." I scrambled from the cold pavement before he could recover, but again I was too slow. His hand grabbed my ankle and dragged me back. That was the moment I got a good look of his face, as the street light illuminated his face from the perfect angle.  
"Jonathan." I said completely shocked, which made him smirk. In those few precious seconds of complete confusion over why a police officer was assaulting me and threatening to rape me, he managed to get on top of me and pinned me down to the ground. Cursing myself for letting my guard down for even a second, I thrashed around, trying to turn us over or throw him off of me. Either of those would be great.  
"I knew you were a goddamn slut when I saw you yesterday. Now, my suspicions were confirmed as I watched you show those pretty tits of yours to a dozen men." Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I couldn't form any coherent thoughts anymore, merely focusing all my efforts on trying to hurt him. I screamed until my lungs burned for oxygen. Taking a deep breath, I continued again. I screamed my lungs out, but there was no one coming to help me. I even saw a curtain close at the other side of the street. Please, at least call the police, I prayed, but didn't dare hope for too much.  
"I'm going to fuck you." He threatened again and I believed him for a hundred percent. "I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week." He continued. His head came closer to me and I took that opportunity to bash my head into his. I groaned in pain, a brutal sting shooting from the front of my skull to the back. Needless to say, it did nothing to improve my headache. It accomplished what I wanted, though: Jonathan's grip on me weakened and in that moment I used all of my strength to turn us over. Immediately after, I elbowed him in his disgusting face. Again and again. My chest was heaving and my heart was pounding in my chest. Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrists from behind. I thrashed immediately, trying to turn around to deliver another kick, but the man was much stronger than I was. He picked me up as if I weighted nothing and threw me over his shoulder. I should have paid more attention to my surroundings. I saw Jonathan get up and spit out a tooth. Served him right.  
"You were right, Jon. Pretty little thing." Another man also joined, patting Jon on his back. I trashed some more, pushing my knee into the chest of the man who was carrying me with as much force as I could muster, which earned me a slap on my ass. I banged my fists on his back. I remembered there was one specific place in the side, right where the kidney was, where it hurt the most. And so I elbowed him right there, which made him falter in his step and drop me to the ground. "Fucking whore." He swore as I scrambled off the ground. I was doing pretty well in terms of fending them off, until one of Jon's friend drew a gun and pointed it towards me.  
"One more move," He said, spitting out some more blood and wiping his nose, which was also bleeding heavily and clearly broken, "And you won't move again." The other man who had carried me deeper into the alley, drew a knife, also directing it towards me. Shit. Holy shit. What am I going to do. Jon also wiped the blood from his face and got closer, an evil glint in his eyes. I just really wanted to be anywhere but here. Any place any time would be better. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.  
"Get away from her." Oliver's voice had never sounded so beautiful. He pushed Jon into the wall, smashing his head against it. Relief washed over me for a few seconds, before I realized they had a goddamn knife and a gun. The one with the knife was indeed moving towards Oliver and I reached out, just as he plunged the knife deep into his back. Oliver looked down as Jon slumped against the floor. His eyes looked at the tip of the knife, which came out of his abdomen, completely stunned beyond words or sound. Time seemed to slow down as I screamed and threw myself onto the guy, who was drawing the knife back, out of Oliver's flesh. I punched him in the face and kicked him against the other wall, grateful once again for the kickbox training provided by Mrs Johnson.  
"No, no no no." I cried, completely forgetting about the three men that were still very much intend on raping me and were even angrier than before. Oliver's blood was soaking through his t-shirt and he was starting to breath very heavily. I pulled my bag towards me, which had fallen in the struggle and tried to look for my phone. I didn't get far, as I should have expected, someone grabbed chunks of my hair again and pulled my head backwards, exposing my neck. I really wished for us not the be here. I had never wanted anything so badly as to not be here at this place in this time. I turned my eyes downwards as I saw Jon unbuckling his belt and laid eyes on Oliver instead, who was turning on his side, eyes wide and completely in shock, his hand trembling as he felt at the exit wound.  
Panic overtook my body and I yelled and screamed and thrashed until a weird sensation overtook me and I found myself, Oliver and the man that was holding me in an open field, rather than the busy city. I stopped thrashing for a second, completely stunned. The man holding my hair tightly dropped the knife in surprise and utter confusion. Within a second, my more primal survival instincts kicked in and I grabbed it, turned around and drove the point of the weapon deep into his groin.  
His animalistic scream echoed through my ears as the blood gushed out of the wound, covering my face and soaking my sweater. The man collapsed and I withdrew the knife and threw it unto the ground. Immediately I crawled over to Oliver and exerted pressure on the wound.  
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He was losing a lot of blood. I needed an ambulance.

But where in the hell where we?


	11. Reality is subjective

My phone didn't have any reception, nor any GPS or internet. I clenched my eyes shut before groaning and putting the damned device back into the bag. My heart was beating frantically in my chest and, judging by the amount of blood that was leaving Oliver's body, I knew I had very little time. Shit shit shit.  
Alright, take a deep breath. Don't panic. Panic is your enemy. I took a shaky breath before ripping Oliver's shirt and starting to fill up his wound with the rags. His breath was raggedly, his chest heaving up and down and he groaned loudly as I worked. Half-conscious, he tried to push me bloody hands away from the wound, obviously in a lot of pain.  
"It's going to be okay, Oli." I said, only then realizing that tears were streaming down my face, as I could taste the salt on my tongue. "You are going to be fine." I laid him down on his side and took a look at the entrance wound. Blood wasn't gushing out as quickly as before, but I wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good thing.  
"You are goi-ing to be fine." I croaked, pushing pieces of cloth into my brothers flesh, holding open his wound with the other hand as well as I dared to. The skin slipped underneath my fingers and the feeling of his bare muscles underneath my finger tips send a worrying feeling through my stomach, feeding my nausea. Nonetheless, I managed to fill up the entire wound and wrap his abdomen and back with the rest of his shirt, tying the knot as tightly as possible to exert pressure on his wound.  
"You are going to be fine." I kept repeating, more to myself than to Oliver, who was still conscious, but whose eyes had a certain glaze over them that nearly made me break down right then and there. I couldn't though. This was an emergency solution to stop the worst of the bleeding. He needed actual medical attention and an actual doctor. So I grabbed my bag, uncaring of the blood that got everywhere and took my phone, walking around, trying to find some goddamn reception.  
"You are going to be fine." It was almost like a prayer. I walked around for a couple more minutes, going as far away from Oliver as I dared to, but it was to no avail. My phone had chosen the absolute worst time to stop working. Sobbing silently, I turned it off, hoping it would magically start working again if I turned in on in a couple of minutes. When I came back to the clearing where I'd left Oliver, I stopped dead in my tracks. There were three people there, who looked like they had walked straight out of a history book. They were all men, wearing various shades of brown, their faces sunken in and their hands covered in grime. One of them was holding my bag, looking at it as if it was the devil himself. His eyes glanced towards me, before nodding to the men behind him. Words came over his mouth, which resembled English, but my brain was incapable of making sense of them as I stood, nailed to the ground, watching as one of the men grabbed the knife and stabbed Oliver in the chest. My vision became blurry as the tears welled up in my eyes, a strangled sound coming out of my mouth. Not my brother. The blood was streaming out of the new wound as his eyes found mine. He mouthed a 'run' to me, begging me with his eyes to go, but I couldn't.  
"NO!" I screamed, an agony settling deep into my bones, a million thoughts running through my mind. Everything seemed to slow down as I pushed my way past the men. They were talking, but my brain failed to make sense of the words. I was blind to everything but my brother's trembling form, his hands that were shakily covering the new wound, to no avail. I broke down next to him, holding his head in my hands.  
"No, no no." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. I bend down and hugged him closer to me. His bloodied hand found the back of my head.  
"R-r-ru-nn." He managed to speak out, blood seeping out of his mouth, his hand trembling as he cradled my face. I shook my head, burying my nose in his neck, holding him tightly to me. Please, please, please don't die. I felt his heartbeat against my cheek as I pressed myself closer into his body. It was slowing down. My hand found and I entwined our fingers, squeezing it, feeling my heart skip a beat as he responded very weakly. I swallowed back the lump that was forming in my throat, refusing to acknowledge that Oliver was dying. His body went limp in my arms and I dared glance at his face. His eyes met mine, his breathing calming down as he smiled a trembling smile.  
"Yo-yo-ou are gogoing to be fine." I resumed my mantra, sobbing loudly, crying my eyes out. My throat constricted as his eyes glazed over, and his hand, which was previously holding onto mine, lost its grip. "No. No..." I barely noticed the people around me coming closer. When one of them put a hand on my shoulder, I remembered, but couldn't find the willpower to fight back. Instead, I held Oliver closer to me, pressing his body to mine, begging him to get up, begging his heart to start pumping again. The hand tightened its grip and this time I did fight against it as it tried to pull me away from Oliver. I screamed and thrashed, but my body lacked the energy and will to escape. The other man grabbed my right arm and the third my bag as they dragged me off to god knows where. I let them, throwing one more look at the brother that had taken care of me all his life. That had loved me like no one else and supported me. I recalled his smile that I would never see again, his pride as I would get another good grade. I clenched my eyes shut, more tears falling from my eyes.

It was all a blur. The men didn't say much, simply dragged me to a fire-lit village. The sun was setting and darkness fell on the forest. My brain had stopped functioning normally a while ago, but as I set eyes upon the village, I came to the realization that this couldn't be real. This was an act. This must be a joke, a prank. They must be filming this, laughing at my reaction.  
You killed that man, a voice deep inside of me screamed, but I didn't acknowledge it. This was all a prank. Oliver wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. My tears stopped as I started paying more attention to my surroundings. Oliver must have been in on it, perhaps this was a way to earn more money. I was going to kick his ass later for putting me through this. Yet as the grip of the men tightened around my arms, I couldn't help but feel that the pain they made me feel and the blood that coated my body, was all too real.


	12. The brutality of history

They wasted no time in dragging me towards one of the houses. From the corner of my eye, I saw villagers emerging from the houses, pointing and whispering. I felt nothing as the villagers started to become more loud and insulted me. Their insults were rather creative: 'Demon child.' and 'Whore of the devil'. Can't say I had ever been called that before. Their accents and words were a bit weird, I couldn't help but think. The producers really went through a lot of trouble to teach the actors some old-American English.  
By now, the tears had dried and my face was simply itchy from the salt and the drying blood. When we reached a house that was slightly bigger than the others, I was thrown onto the ground. A painful sting shot from my elbow to my fingers, leaving behind a buzzing pain for a couple of seconds, before fading away. My eyes fell to the blood that covered my hands and arms. Oliver's blood, mostly.

No.

Fake blood.  
The door before me opened and I saw a booted foot come to a halt right in front of me.  
"Alas, here the reason of our failed crops and harvests. Satan has send his whores once more to throw us off the path of righteousness!" One of my captor's spoke, with true hatred and anger in his voice. My heartbeat increased. "See here, the witch's evil possessions." He threw my bag on the ground and quickly made the sign of a cross, as if having held my bag had stained him with evil and sin.  
"We found her and two others in the forest, undoubtedly just having returned from a sabbath where they had intercourse with the devil..." More murmurs of the crowd: some women shielded their children's eyes and ears. Although some part of me still believed this was unreal, the other part started to become more worried. Fear rose deep inside me and I tried to swallow it away. There was no way I could have been transported back in time, unless magic actually existed - in which case they were a bit more validated in their accusations and handling of me. "She had stabbed two of her fellow witches already." My throat constricted at the mention of Oliver's death, shaking my head in disbelief. Oliver is still alive, I told myself. He wasn't dead. This was all a way to earn some money, all staged. "Satan's servants are liars, disloyal and evil. They must have cursed our lands and cattle. Then when it came to taking credit in front of their master, jealousy drove them to kill each other." The second captor spoke. I didn't mention how that didn't add up with our going to a Sabbath with said devil, realizing it was better to stay quiet. They had already evoked a very emotional response from me. I was not going to give them another one...  
The villagers around me began whispering more loudly. My bag and clothes were a topic of particular interest.  
"What shall we do with the whore, mayor Barker?"  
The booted man in front of me, who had just exited the house, took one look at me - and what a sight I must have been, soaked in blood, eyes red from crying, tear-strained cheeks and dirty clothes.  
"How do you answer to these charges?" His eyes spoke of the spite he felt towards me. Part of me wanted to laugh out loud and say that I had already figured it out. That I knew that this was all a show, but the fear inside of me and the desire to defend myself was greater.  
"I'm no witch: I have not attended any Sabbath, nor made any contract with the devil." I spoke, looking around me. The condemning looks in people's eyes said it all. They had already judged me as guilty (or were told to judge me as guilty by the producer, a tiny voice inside of me spoke). "But you have already made up your mind, so get on with it." His eyes sparkled as a not so comforting smile appeared on his face.  
"Flog her in the square, prepare the pyre. The witch shall burn an hour after sunrise. Let it hereby be known that evil shall not take root in this village." He shouted the last part of his sentence, the crowd roaring at his words. My eyes widened as the men on my left and right grabbed my arms again, pulling so hard I thought my arm might pop out of the socket. A flash of pain shot through my shoulders. My brain kept trying to tell me it wasn't real, but a little voice in the back of my mind also told me that they could never hurt me if this was a prank. As my mind tried to make sense of the situation, I felt something wet hitting my cheek, dripping down. Spit. I realized. A man had spat on me. Out of instinct I moved to wipe the disgusting wetness of my face, but my captors restrained any movement. As the seconds ticked by in which they dragged me through the crowd, I started becoming more panicked, my breath hitching. It's all a joke. I tried telling myself in an attempt to not freak out.  
It's all a show. They pushed me on the ground again and pulled my sweater off of my head, exposing my bare back and the plain white bra that I was wearing underneath. The sudden coldness made me yelp. It's all a show. I went on to cover myself, but my hands were grabbed by two other men, who tied them together and then to a pole of a platform with a pillory that I only now noticed. It's all a show. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, making me tremble as I sat half-naked in front of a crowd of people that demanded my blood. It's all a show. From the corner of my eye, I saw the whip. A cat o' nine tails. I was completely horrified. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered that these shouldn't even be used in the US in villages. They didn't even get that fact right... It's all a show. My breathing became labored as I clenched my eyes shut. In a few seconds, they will exclaim it was all an act.  
A searing pain made itself present on my back, my agonized scream echoing through the night.  
_This was not a show._


	13. Alone to my thoughts

Twenty lashes, they had given me, leaving my back bloodied and burning. After that, they had dragged me to a makeshift prison and tied my wrists so tightly that my hands started to tingle within seconds. The rope was then attached to a hook on the wall. My thoughts were all over the place. Apart from the burning wounds on my back and the pain in my chest at the loss of Oliver, I felt completely numb and cold, my body shivering. I felt like crying, but no tears would come. I waited for the moment that my body would just shut down under the stress, but that didn't happen. Instead, I was completely awake, staring at the other side of the room, trying to keep myself from thinking about the day's events, Oliver's death and the fact that I was dragged back in time to some old-American establishment in god knows what century, where I would be executed within 12 hours from now. Executed by being burned at the stake. Of all the ways to die... I started to panic once again, my numbness finally subsiding. My breathing became irregular and I knew I was at risk of going into shock, so I forced myself to take deep breaths, training my eyes on the door. Underneath, I could see two pairs of shoes, belonging to the guards who had to make sure I wouldn't escape. If only I was an actual witch, I could curse them, burn the ropes and be on my way. If I had been an actual witch, I could have saved Oliver. No. No. Don't go there. Don't spend your last hours in panic and sadness. My brain didn't cooperate though, as it normally didn't. It was just like the pink elephant. Tell someone not to think of a pink elephant and that is all they can do. So, I spend the next hours shivering from the cold, kept awake by the million thoughts running through my mind and the burning pain in my back and wrists. The aching pain in my muscles from having worked the pole was a mere itch in comparison. When I saw the light enter from the window in the room, I clenched my eyes shut, not ready to die yet. I had always fought so hard for my place in this world. I had gotten a job when dad came home from Afghanistan a broken man. I had taken care of him, washed him, clothed him and fed him time and time again, as he turned to the bottle as a form of self-medication and became incapable of taking care of himself. I had participated in active protests against the governments lack of support for those who needed it the most and still found the time to work my job and study hard to get into college. And now, here I was, all my work for nothing. I opened my eyes, realizing I would not be another meek woman dragged to the stake. I vowed not to go down without a fight. That was easier said than done, as the guards came in and pulled me from the ground. I felt the wounds rip open on my back, making me groan in pain. The man on the left grinned at my discomfort, showing his yellowing teeth, of which two were missing, leaving nasty gaps. "This is nothing compared to the fire that is awaiting you. You shall burn in hell for your sins." He spat before punching me in the face. Coughing up some blood, I was dizzy for a couple of seconds as they dragged me from my cell.

The screaming around me was deafening. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, a voice kept insisting that this wasn't real. I wanted to hold onto that thought. I wanted to believe that this was all some kind of joke. Any minute, the cameraman would jump out of the bushes, exclaiming this was just for entertainment purposes, that they had been filming the whole ordeal. However, the pain in my wrists, which were bound tightly behind my back, was a painful reminder of the truth. The sting of where they had hit me, the blood that was soaking through the back of my shirt, confirmed beyond any doubt that my hopes were all in vain. This wasn't a joke. This was real. I tried not to focus on the screams of the people around me, tried to block out all of it. The screams, the insults, but most of all, I tried to block out what they were pulling me towards. My breath hitched in my throat. Salty tears streamed down my face. My heart was beating so loudly I was sure everyone around me could hear its frantic speed. I clenched my eyes shut at the first sight of what was at the centre of the square I was being led to. On second thought, I reopened them, looking up, instead, towards the blue sky above, watching the clouds drift by. Such a beautiful day to die. Another tear escaped, slowly making its way down my cheek and dripping down on the ground. If there is any god out there, any powerful being who holds sway over my faith, then please let them look upon me with mercy. Let them take pity and take me from this place. Back to where I belong. A movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I was immediately taken back to the harsh reality. No one was going to save me. Oliver would have, but he was gone. No one else ever had. No one else ever will. I can take care of myself. And so I will. I clenched my hands to fists and focused my attention to the structure in front of me. This will not be my death. I vowed to fight and fight I will. But fighting didn't necessarily mean that I was going to struggle mindlessly. Instead of thrashing, which I knew was not going to work, I surveyed the area and took a closer look at what was soon to be my pyre. Fear settled in my stomach, but I swallowed it down, forcing my brain to focus. The pole seemed relatively smooth and was rather broad, more like a board than an actual pole. Behind it, there were fewer people. Where was the fun in only seeing my back and not my agonized face as I burned, after all... Pushing that thought away, I let my eyes wander over the pyre. Right next to the pole stood my bag. The villagers surely didn't want to take any risks with satanic devices... The man on the right pushed me, making me fall in front of the platform. Pains shot through my knee like electricity, but I managed to ignore it. I tried to think of an idea that didn't involve me all of a sudden growing wings and flying away, when I realized the key was in my bag. All I had to do was reach it. Considering all the guards around me, that was easier said than done.


	14. Burn to ashes

"We have gathered here today to show Satan he will not succeed in making us stray from the path God set us upon." The mayor spoke holding a torch in his right hand. He nodded to my guards, who dragged me atop the structure. The crowd roared, screaming for my blood, which seemed rather un-godly if you asked me. My heart was racing in my chest as the fear fought for control over my body. You cannot allow it to control you, I told myself. Panic will be your death.

Or fire will. I again pushed that thought away. The pole was indeed broad enough to support my entire frame, with my arms on my side. Instead of binding my wrists behind the pole, they tied the rope around one wrist and dragged the rope behind the pole to tie my other wrist. An idea suddenly came to me. Was it a bad idea? Yes. Was it most likely doomed to fail? Yes. Was I going to try it anyway? Without a doubt. So, I kept my wrists to my waist, using my arm muscles to fight back against the pulling of the rope, without making it seem like I was doing anything. Luckily, my muscles were well-developed enough to make them believe the rope couldn't be bound any tighter as they tied the knot around my other wrist. This left me with as much wiggle room as I could possibly have. My feet being tied to the pole did add a complication, but I tried not to worry about it, focusing on my breathing. I had one chance or I'd be dead. That thought send a shiver down my spine.  
"May God send her straight to the gates of hell, where she shall burn for eternity!" Another roar from the crowd as he brought the torch to the lower parts of the pyre. As soon as the fire touched the dry wood, it caught flame, under much excitement of the villagers. Immediately, I brought my wrists further back, which gave me about 3 centimeter at most to move. More than I was expecting. I squatted down on my knees, coughing on the smoke that was already burning my lungs and started working on the rope, which tied my feet to the pole. The red flames were moving closer, driving up the heat as I struggled to loosen the knot. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead. Fuck. I was not expecting the flames to move this goddamn quickly. After a few more seconds of struggling with the knot, I managed to loosen it enough to free my feet. Just in time, as the fire was nearing the top of the pyre, dangerously close to my fingers. Under loud screeching of the villagers, I quickly stood up, grabbed the pole as well as I could with my hands and lifted my legs up over myself, hooking them to the pole. I pulled myself up, straining my muscles as my back protested against the movements, tearing my wounds even further. I groaned, but reminded myself that pain and scars were definitely much better than the fire that was getting dangerously close. I pulled myself up towards the end of the stake, moving as quickly as possible, making use of the stunned confusion of the villagers around me.  
"She is escaping." One of them finally screamed as I made it to the end and leaped from the pole onto the platform. I needed my bag. My plan depended on my bag. The flames were licking at my feet, which hurt beyond pain, but I clenched my teeth, grabbed my bag and jumped from the platform. Thank god I wasn't wearing any extremely flammable clothes. I rolled on my side, coughing up smoke, yet feeling a huge sense of euphoria. I did it. Never imagined my pole-dancing would ever be a literal life-saver... The chaos that erupted afterwards reminded me that it wasn't over yet. I rolled out of the way of a foot that was coming dangerously close to crushing my scull and scrambled up.  
"I lay with Satan. And he gave me the powers of hell in return." I screamed. "I am a witch and will curse you all." Frightened women and children leaped away, tumbling over themselves in an attempt to get away, which gave me some valuable seconds in which the men could not get to me. I found what I was looking for within seconds. Grabbing my phone and turning it on, I added fuel to the fire "Satan has come for you all. His demons and witches shall steal your children in the night. We will boil them alive and eat the flesh of their bones." It was absolute chaos around me as people were stumbling to get as far away from me as possible. If there wasn't a real risk of me dying, and if I hadn't been almost burned just a couple of seconds ago, I would have laughed. My phone screen came to life and I quickly put in my code, bringing me to my home screen. Selecting the camera button, I put it on flash and faced the men that had finally wriggled a way through the women.  
"You have no power here, witch." One of them hissed, "You have no power among godly men." The first man came at me, but I placed a well-aimed kick in his abdominal region, which send him stumbling back into the arms of his friend. For the next, I had the camera ready. I clicked the button.  
"I curse you." I screamed, trying to sound as menacing as possible, "I curse you and your family." Another flash, which left the men screaming and shouting for their priest. "You shall not have any children." I aimed my camera the other way now, creating a path towards the forest as the people jumped out of the way, afraid of being caught by the flashes from the device. "Your harvest shall rot." Another flash, followed by more crying of children and wailing of men and women alike. My feet, which were definitely burned, protested as I broke into a sprint towards the cover of the forest, running for the life I held dear.  
"She must burn! We must not let her escape!" I heard the screaming behind me, knowing they would chase me down soon. I was breathing heavily, trying to ignore the pain in my feet. I simply hoped that the burn wasn't too bad. I threw a glance backwards. The flashing of the camera seemed to have stunned them enough to give me a decent head-start. All of a sudden, I crashed into what felt like a wall. A cold hand prevented me from falling onto the ground. Glancing up, my vision blurry from the impact, I came face to face with a red-eyed creature, pale as the moon. I choked on nothing, my brain wondering for a second if I had the power to call on demons after all, before disregarding that as ludicrous: there was no such thing as demons. I turned around upon hearing screaming, seeing three villagers running towards us. Within a second, the stranger that was previously in front of me, was now in front of the men and had sunk his teeth into one of then. Another second and the man's body was thrown twenty feet in the air and came to a halt at a tree nearby. My eyes were wide, of that I was sure. My brain struggled to make sense of it. It was useless: after having been flogged in the square of a village, almost being burned to ashes on a pyre and having witnessed my brother die, this was the final straw. My brain did the only sensible thing it could do: it completely shut off and I allowed the darkness to envelop me. The last thing I felt were cold arms surrounding my waist.


	15. An unexpected twist

Demetri POV

I shared a look with Felix when we heard frantic shouting. "I lay with Satan. And he gave me the powers of hell in return." a woman screamed. "I am a witch and will curse you all." Felix clicked his tongue, before grinning.  
"Another burning, do you reckon?" I hummed in response. We had just finished our mission successfully, surely there was no harm in watching how this event will unfold. Perhaps there was even some tasty human to have for breakfast. So, we made our way to the edge of the village, jumping on top of one of the buildings to get a clear overview of the situation. Our hoods covered our faces and prevented the sun from making us light up like a diamond. What I saw from there, struck me as odd. The pyre was burning, yet there were no agonized screams. There was no one on the platform, I realized. Within a fraction of a second, my eyes turned to a woman, covered in blood and grime, who was yelling and screaming. Her clothing was what caught my attention. It seemed like a tight trousers, which left nothing to the imagination. Part of me found it absolutely scandalous that she would dress in something like that, before I wondered where she had gotten her hands on such an odd garment in the first place. I had never seen anything like it.  
"She escaped." Felix mumbled, as surprised by that tad bit of information as I was. The villagers were struggling to get away from her, while some of the men tried to push through to get to her. It was absolute chaos. Even from here, I could read the sheer force of her determination on her face, which sparked my interest in the mysterious woman even further. Her hand was holding an odd-looking device, which all of a sudden emitted light like the sun above, which took me aback for a second. Felix also seemed visibly shook. We quickly jumped across the houses, ending up at the roof closest to the woman.  
The men had finally reached her and she looked up.  
"You have no power here, witch." I heard one of them say, "You have no power among godly men." An almost satisfied grin appeared on the woman's face when she planted a kick on one of the man, which apparently held such force that he stumbled back a couple of meters. I was almost impressed. The others now moved onto her and she simply held the device up, touched it and a flash so bright it caught me off guard, sparked.  
"I curse you." She screamed, sounding as crazed as she looked, completely covered in blood.  
"Tell me you saw that as well."  
"Yes." I said, as confused as Felix sounded. The villagers weren't doing much better: they were yelling and screaming even louder than before.  
"I curse you and your family." Her voice boomed as another flash appeared. The men covered their eyes, yelling for their God to save them. If I had thought it was chaotic before, it was nothing compared to now. They were stumbling over each other to get as far away from her as possible, fear rolling of them in waves. The scent of their blood in combination with the terror smelled absolutely divine. I closed my eyes for a second, taking in their mouth-watering scents, before looking down at the woman once more.  
"Is it possible she actually lay with the devil," Felix whispered next to me.  
"Perhaps," I cocked my head as I listened to her curses. "I have never known a mortal or immortal to have met the devil, however."  
"Master Aro would be interested..." Felix trailed off as I nodded.  
"Let us bring him back a gift, then."  
When the woman ran towards the tree line, I quickly reached out to the tenor of her mind, committing it to memory so I would be able to track her wherever she went. It wasn't necessary this time, the fear that made her blood smell even sweeter, also made it easier to simply follow our noses to find her.  
We jumped in front of her and she crashed into me, not having realized that I was there yet. I grinned at the stupidity of mortals, before reaching out and ensuring she wouldn't fall down. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, in which I glanced over her. Her hair was tied back with an odd-looking ring, sticking to her head in various places with dried blood. It wasn't all hers, however. I distinguished at least two other scents. Her face was attractive, for a mortal at least, only a few small scars marring her skin. Multiple bruises were forming on her cheek, however. Now that I got a closer look at her clothes, my slight disgust for her immodesty sparked once more. She dressed more like a man than a woman with a -previously- white shirt that had various blood stains on it, which made it stick to her skin. The trousers were what bothered me the most. Never in my life had I seen their like, fitting to her body like a second skin. The scent of partially burned flesh reached my nose, which confirmed that the villagers had somehow put her on the pyre, yet she escaped as it was burning. Despite my disgust for her odd clothes, there was a slight part of me that was moderately impressed by her escape. Her eyes, a rare shade of green met mine and she gasped, clearly beyond confusion.  
"Breakfast has been served." Felix grinned as his eyes turned to the villagers who were foolish enough to follow the woman. Immediately, I let her go and pounced on the one closest to me, sinking my teeth into his neck, tasting the sweet nectar on my tongue. Throwing him out of the way as I sucked the last drop of blood from his worthless body, I moved on to the next.  
"She fainted." Felix informed me, holding the human woman in his arms.  
"Good." I simply smiled, wiping the blood from my mouth with the shirt of the man I just killed. "Let us go then."


	16. Nothing to lose, nor to fear

Evelyn POV  
I was floating in the state between consciousness and unconsciousness. I hadn't had such a good night sleep in forever. Slowly, I was coming back to reality however and I wondered why Oliver hadn't woken me up yet. It was a weekday, was it not? As the darkness subsided, so did my numbness. The pain in my feet and back brought me back to what happened. I was nearly burned to ashes. However, I was still very much alive.  
"Her heartbeat is increasing." A bell-like voice sounded, which reminded me of the last seconds before I passed out. The red-eyed creature that drank the blood of the villagers. A second later, I felt myself be put down on the ground. Why hadn't they killed me? Somewhere, I found it weird that that thought didn't bring me fear, but decided not to pay it any mind for now. I held my eyes closed, refusing to let go of the blissful darkness just yet. I knew I had to face them. I knew I had to face the reality of not being home anymore. I took one breath and opened my eyes. Two men were standing right in front of me. Both were inhumanly attractive. That fitted, I suppose, considering they weren't human. Once again, I was stunned by how little fear that thought caused me. I glanced over them, took in their dark old-fashioned clothes. The one on the left would surely tower over me, being incredibly tall and muscular. The black hair was in stark contrast with his pale skin and the red of his eyes. The other one, who had his arms crossed over his chest, was more lean than bulky with dark blond hair. Again, his eyes were red: a bright blood-red.  
"Hi," I spoke, my voice hoarse, probably as a result of breathing in so much smoke from the pyre. They smirked. "So, are you going to eat me as well?" Again I felt no fear. For a second, something akin to surprise flashed in the eyes of the blonde, before an emotionless mask fell over his face once more.  
"No, we will not." He answered. I simply nodded before looking down at my feet, which were throbbing in my shoes.  
"That's good to know."  
"How are you not afraid?" The dark-haired one spoke. I shrugged my shoulders.  
"I'm not because I'm not." I dared to touch shoes, which was warm to the touch. That was not a good sign. "Besides, you seem more reasonable than the villagers." You didn't try to burn me. _Nor did you kill my brother. _A sharp pain shot through my chest at the reminder of my brother's death, before I swallowed my grief. Forcing back my tears, I moved towards the stream which was conveniently close and slowly emerged my feet into the cold water.  
"Most people would have called out for God to save them already."  
"Even if he exists, he didn't care when I was nearly burned to a crisp. So, I doubt he would care now."  
"Crisp?" The blond one questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Again, I shrugged my shoulders. The other one seemed as confused, "You doubt his existence." It was more of a statement than a question, but I decided to answer it anyway. There was no purpose in trying to act as if I fitted in this society, as I still didn't know where the fuck I was. Besides, I have never been a good actress and even something as subtle as my word choice would set them off. Not to mention I was still very much wearing 21st century clothing. No point in pretending to fit in.  
"There are too many inconsistencies in the bible for me to take it seriously, not to mention that things such as slavery and rape are condoned." I started to gently untie my sneakers, hoping that it was soaked enough to not rip my skin off with it. "There are so many religions across the globe, all claiming something different and all claiming they have the monopoly on the truth. But how could they know? There is no actual proof." I sighed, before continuing, "If one of them is right, it means that millions of others will be condemned to some form of eternal damnation. They often claim their god is the epitome of fairness and goodness. However, condemning millions to damnation for a simple belief does not sound very just or fair to me."  
They seemed shell-shocked, staring at me in utter disbelief.  
"You are not a Christian?" The dark-haired one finally spoke after a couple of seconds of silence. I thought about it for a couple of seconds, flinching at the pain in my feet as part of my skin ripped when I loosened the ties.  
"Perhaps there is some god or divine being out there, but I do not think any religion actually captures the existence of that being. Personally, I believe humans, when we started to become aware of our own demise, made up stories and beliefs in order to fight the inevitable realization that we were nothing before we were born and will return to nothingness once we are dead." They shared a look with each other, clearly shocked that I contradicted everything they ever believed in. For a few seconds, it was silent once more. My right shoe was finally loose enough for me to take it off, if I wished. As I moved it slightly, however, I felt my skin was attached to some parts of the shoe. This was going to hurt, I looked up at the sky, trying to gather some courage.  
"What are you doing." One of them asked and I felt them moving closer.  
"Trying to salvage as much of my foot as I can." Alright, Evelyn, you can do this. Still, my hands trembled, so I put my right foot back into the stream, moving on to tie loose my left shoe instead. A little bit of extra soaking might help.  
"So what are you going to do with me, if you didn't bring me along as an afternoon snack." Again, slight confusion crossed their face. Perhaps I should try to fit in a bit more. However, it seemed like I didn't care enough. I realized with a start there was nothing left for me to lose. Nothing but my life that is. Perhaps there was some truth in the saying that those who have nothing to lose, have nothing to fear... After all, I had no fear for these vampires that could easily rip my throat out.  
"You might be of interest to our master, so we shall bring you to him."  
"Why would I interest him?" I knew I was just evading the inevitable: the moment I had to take off my shoe. With a sigh, I turned back to my right foot. I grabbed the shoe and tried to gently take it off my foot. It was not gentle enough, the pain seared through my foot and I had to force myself to keep a hold of the shoe, instead of simply dropping it and learning to live with the fact they were never coming off. I heard skin tear, which fueled my nausea. Groaning, I finally got it off, throwing it on the ground and dipping my abused foot into the water once more. The cold should work as some sort of anesthetic.  
"Your...demonic device... would likely capture his fancy." The pain made me almost drowsy, as I tried to figure out what they were talking about.  
"Ah... my phone." I finally realized. "It is not very demonic, really."  
If that is the only reason why they are keeping you alive, perhaps you shouldn't contradict them on it, a little voice in the back of my mind spoke. But I ignored it.


	17. Focus on the little things

"Can you give my phone to me?" The battery was almost completely charged when I had used the flash and if I was going to be trapped in this time, I wanted to be able to look at the pictures at times. There were so many on there, mostly with me and Oliver, but also with Emily and William... Although part of me was still annoyed at William, recent events had made me mostly forget about that annoyance. They shared a look, at which I rolled my eyes.  
"I promise I do not have any powers to call on demons or curse you, as far as I'm aware." The blonde one then took my phone from his pocket and gave it to me. I simply turned it off, not wanting to waste more of the battery than I already had. Sighing, I put it next to me on the ground.  
Almost in a trance, I watched as the water around my foot became slightly pinkish. The cold helped with the pain, but I could still feel it throbbing. I clenched my jaw, readying myself for the other foot. I glanced towards my two vampire companions, who seemed to watch the water with an almost hunger-like look. Ah. Blood.  
"Does it bother you?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the pain, "The blood, I mean." Their eyes snapped to my face within a fraction of a second. Still, I felt no fear.  
"Your blood is quite appetizing, but have no fear, we have excellent control over our instincts." The blonde said. It made me realize I didn't even know their names yet.  
"What are your names?"  
"Ah, apologies for our lack of manners. I am Demetri Volturi," He made small bow, before gesturing to the bulky vampire next to him. "This is Felix Volturi, my companion." He simply nodded his head in recognition, smiling slightly. Their eyes met mine.  
"Evelyn." Not bothering to give them my last name, as it held no value in our current situation. For a few seconds, I considered whether or not I should try and get some information on where I was. Perhaps if I was very subtle...  
"What year is it." Very smooth... I rolled my eyes at myself, before glancing up at their faces, which seemed stuck in confusion. "Just humour me." I immediately added, realizing how weird the question actually was.  
"It is the year of our lord 1634." Felix spoke. Pushing down the fear of having this confirmation, I forced myself to analyze this piece of information. Columbus discovered the Americas around 1490, did he not? 1492 I believe it was. America gained its independence somewhere in the late 18th century. So, I got stuck in a time where there were still many new people coming to the colonies to settle down. In Europe, I believe the Thirty Years war was raging? There was very little apart from that, that I actually remembered about this specific time period. Obviously, they still believed in magic and witchcraft. The Salem witchcraft trials would be in a couple of decades. As these thoughts crossed my mind, I gently removed the shoe from my left foot, which was far easier than the right one. The fabric hadn't molten to the skin, indicating that the burn must also be less bad than on my right foot. Indeed, the skin was red and there were a couple of blisters, but it was nowhere near as bad as my other foot. I needed to disinfect it though... Perhaps my first aid kit was still in my bag? The hospital had given it to me when I was an intern there for a couple of months, as part of my honours course at school. I believe I had never taken it out of my bag... I twisted, finally spotting the bag and dragging it to my place near the stream.  
"Will you get her some more decent clothes, Felix." Demetri suddenly spoke.  
"It's not so indecent." I muttered halfheartedly. In comparison with what they are used to, it was certainly immodest, but for my time, it was actually rather decent: a simple pair of dark jeans and a white sweatshirt, which was not so white anymore... I swallowed once more before rummaging through my bag, trying to find the first aid kit. Please be in there... From the corner of my eye, I saw Demetri raise his eyebrow, before nodding to Felix, who sped off immediately. My hand touched something that was smooth and cold. Relief washed over me. At least I had my first aid kit.  
"What are you doing." Demetri asked me the exact same question he had asked before.  
"I told you, I'm salvaging as much of my feet as I can." I sighed, "And if I survive being burned on the stake, I am not going to die of a fucking infection."  
"Fucking?"  
"Never mind."  
"You have an odd way of expressing yourself, Lady Evelyn." I almost snorted at that and threw him a questioning look.  
"Lady?" I questioned, not being able to keep the amusement out of my voice. "I'm hardly a lady." Thinking about it, I had killed someone yesterday by stabbing a knife into his groin. Before that, I had been a stripper. "I'm probably the farthest thing from it." I added. Demetri cocked his eyebrow once more. I wondered if he used to do it that many times before he met me as well, or whether I had caused him to be in a permanent state of utter confusion and bewilderment.  
"How so?" He questioned, but I merely shot him a look and refused to answer. Instead, I took my right foot out of the water. The cold had decreased the bleeding significantly, while the water had washed away any excess of blood. To say my foot looked absolutely horrible would be an understatement. The thing that worried me the most, however, was the piece of fabric that was still very much embedded in the flesh. It must have been burned into it.  
Fuck. I was going to have to get that out or it would become a serious infection. My throat clenched shut as I closed my eyes, realizing what I was going to have to do.  
"You do not happen to have a sharp knife on you, do you?"


	18. You will rise again

The previous chapter was indeed identical to the one before, it has now been fixed (and the other chapters have also been fixed, with the weird urls. I do not know where they came from).  
Hope you enjoy, and thank you to everyone who pointed out that there were some mistakes!

* * *

Another confused look was thrown my way.  
"What would you need a knife for, Evelyn." He refrained from calling me a lady this time, which suited me a bit better. I sighed, really not wanting to explain this. I had a hard enough time convincing myself it was a good idea, let alone speaking it out loud.  
"Look, I'm not going to run away, nor try to kill you with it. We both know that you would easily beat me. "  
"You are not going to try and escape?"  
"I've seen you toss a human 20 feet into the air. Not to mention the fact that Felix just disappeared in the blink of an eye. I'm not stupid." I rolled my eyes at him, "So do you have a knife?" He looked dumb-founded. If ever I needed a more perfect example of total and utter confusion, this would be it. I wasn't sure why this was what would confuse him the most, after I had questioned religion and used a phone before electricity had even been 'discovered'.  
"I can get you one." Felix appeared, dumping a bundle of clothes on the ground.  
"Thank you." With that, he was gone once more and I was left to my own thoughts as Demetri was still incapable of speaking a single word it seemed. So, I simply opened the kit to see what I actually had in there. Some bandages, gauze, anti-bacterial spray, a pair of scissors and tape. Not too bad. Next, I got my hands on the clothing that Felix had brought. It was a dress, of course, of a dark-brown colouring. Nothing too fancy, which was great. In fact, it seemed rather comfortable. There was also a white dress - a shift, I told myself - which would serve as underwear. That was going to be incredibly uncomfortable. The next thing I noticed made me frown. A corset. If they thought I was going to wear a goddamn corset, especially when my back was still very much torn from the flogging, they had another thing coming.  
"Where are you from, if you do not mind my asking." Demetri had finally moved from his spot and sat down on one of the rocks in front of me. His piercing red eyes taking in my appearance. Before I could figure out how to answer that question without sounding like a complete and utter lunatic - as if he didn't think of me as crazy already - Felix returned. With a knife. I smiled before taking it. As I held the blade, memories of what happened to Oliver threatened to take over my thoughts once more, but I managed to push them away. I could not allow my grief to overtake me. As soon as I let that happen, I would be doomed: the emotions would crush me. So, I focused on the task at hand.  
"What are you doing." I was almost getting tired of this question. This time, it was Felix who asked it though.  
"Making sure I'm not going to die of an infection." I took the antibiotic spray and covered the blade with it, ensuring it was as clean as it would ever be, before taking it into a tight, but not too tight grip. You have done this before. You have cut open skin before. Never on an actual human. Never on an actual living being for that matter, but a dead rat was a start, was it not? I took a deep breath, knowing I would never feel completely ready, before placing my right foot over my other leg. I leaned over it, to try and keep it as steady as possible, before making a small incision in my skin, as close to the piece of fabric as I could.  
Fuck.  
That hurt. Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to continue, cutting the blistered skin. Pus started leaking out, which made the whole ordeal even more dreadful. At least I could feel the pain, in most areas that was, which was a good thing: it meant my nerves weren't damaged. As soon as I came closer to the outside of my foot, I couldn't feel the cutting, however. I truly hoped there was no permanent damage done to the nerve endings there, but the chances were pretty slim. I was already quite lucky that the rest of my foot had not suffered a worse blow.  
Finally, I managed to free the piece of fabric and I plucked it out of the flesh with my fingers. It wasn't the most hygienic option, but it would have to do. The wound immediately started to bleed again and with a sigh of relief that this was over, I put my foot back in the stream, letting the cold sooth the pain. Looking up at the two vampires, I saw them already staring at me, eyes a tad bit darker than before.  
"We wish to leave, will you make some haste." Felix finally spoke and I nodded, moving to pull the sweater over my head, when I realized it was stuck to my skin with dried blood as well. For god's sake...

Deciding a bath wasn't a very bad idea, I simply moved forward to submerge myself into the stream completely. I gasped at how cold it was. The water immediately soaked my jeans and sweater, which hung heavily on my body. Felix and Demetri simply looked on as I took the hair tie out of my hair and dumped my head under the water as well. A shock went through me at the coldness, but I kept my head under water. The cold was soothing in a way, numbing the soreness and pain. It felt good to finally rinse off the disgusting mixture of blood, ash and spit. For a few seconds, I pretended that all of my worries were also taken away with the water, before I had to come up for air.  
Shivering, I got out of the water, feeling a bit more human than I had a couple of seconds ago. I settled down on the rock again before pulling the sweater over my head.  
"Whoaaa." Felix moved forward as if to stop me, but he had realized too late what I was actually going to do, so he was too late to stop me. As a result, he stood frozen in his place, his hand outstretched and his jaw nearly hitting the ground. Demetri stood dumb-founded, his slightly widened eyes taking in my appearance. I couldn't help but chuckle at their expressions, before rolling my eyes.  
"Like you have never seen a half-naked woman before."  
Really, Evelyn, perhaps you should care a bit more about your actual life and try to fit in? Then again, I couldn't bring myself to care too much. They sputtered something incoherently, which seemed rather out of character for them. For all their grace, perfection and immortality, they did not know how to deal with a seventeen year old woman in a bra and jeans.


	19. Take a breath, hold it in

As they stood dumbfounded, I picked up the anti-bacterial spray once more. I was not going to be able to do this myself. For god's sake... Sighing, I turned to the two vampires, who were still standing still as statues.  
"Can one of you help me with this?"  
"Uhm." Felix was still stuttering, but Demetri finally snapped out of it. His eyes pierced mine and I saw the slight fascination as well as disgust at my antics. I rolled my eyes at him.  
"If you want to judge me, get in line." I snapped, which might not have been the smartest idea, considering they could snap my neck in a second if they'd like, but I was getting a bit annoyed.  
"What is it you need assistance with?" Demetri ignored the words that had previously come out of my mouth. By now, I believe he is wise to do so.  
"Just spray this over the wounds." I handed him the little bottle before turning my back towards him. "Make sure it covers all of it." In the seconds that followed, I saw Demetri inspect the bottle, reading the letters, yet not understanding the words. His brows were furrowed in utter confusion.  
"How would you like me to _spray _this over the wounds, Evelyn." His voice perfectly illustrated his confusion as well as his amusement by this situation. Part of me found it annoying that he found this funny. After all, my back was burning, my feet were burning and I was at serious risk of infection -even with the spray- and he found it appropriate to find this amusing.  
"Just push the thing on top..." He did and immediately launched himself back, the watery substance having been aimed at his face. He hissed as he blinked heavily. "...While aiming the black dot my way." I finished my sentence. For a second, I wondered whether the substance had actually hurt him, it could burn quite heavily when it came in contact with the eyes, after all. At least the incident had snapped Felix out of his stupor. Instead, he was laughing at his friend. Finally, Demetri got up and retried. As the first drop hit the wounds on my back, I flinched, which halted Demetri in his actions.  
"It's alright, it's meant to hurt."  
"Why is it meant to cause you pain?" Felix had moved closer, obviously not as shocked by my half-nudity anymore. A small smile made its way on my face as I remembered asking the exact same question to my dad, years before this. _"It is because the little soldiers in this spray are fighting the bad monsters in your wound, darling." _He had said. I had believed it then and even cheered for the little soldiers in the magic spray, but knew better by now.  
"It also slightly damages my flesh." I answered, deciding against trying to explain the concept of bacteria and viruses to them.  
"May I inquire, then, Evelyn, as to why you persist on doing this?" Demetri was finally finished and gave me back the bottle with a slightly wary, slightly curious, final glance at the bottle.  
"I told you, it's better than it getting infected." As long as the thin barrier was enough to protect me from all viruses and bacteria that were no doubt everywhere. "I'm sure that hurts a whole lot more..." I glanced up at them.  
"Unless you want to see me almost completely naked, I suggest you turn around," I warned them this time before taking off my jeans. Smirking slightly, they did as I said. Quickly, I took off my jeans before pulling the shift over my head. It wasn't of a coarse material, which was great considering the state of my back. In fact, it was rather soft. It fell just a little bit above my ankles, which suited me just fine. It clung to me slightly, considering I had still been wet before putting it on from my quick bath. Other than that, it wasn't even really uncomfortable. To be fair, I was still wearing my underwear underneath, so that might help. Next, I disinfected my feet, before wrapping them up with gauze and bandages. Hopefully, that would prevent my feet from getting damaged any further.  
"Do you require any assistance with the corset." Felix stated.  
"No, but I will with the dress." I spoke, realizing that it was a lace-up in the back. I might be quite flexible, I wasn't that flexible. They turned around, almost in complete sync. As they threw me a look, I simply shook my head.  
"I'm not going to wear a corset that is going to push my organs so closely together I can barely breath, while my back is half-ripped to shreds." I looked Felix straight in the eye, not at all bothered by their red colour. Meanwhile, I quickly braided my still soaking hair before tying it with the hair tie. It always became hard to handle when it was half-dried so I tried to avoid that situation while I had no access to a brush. Or any hair products for that matter.  
"What makes you believe you have a choice in the matter?" Felix questioned, obviously used to women obeying meekly.  
"I do not care whether you are a vampire or not, you could be the king for all I care. You nor anyone else, will force me into wearing that thing." I felt some of my usual fire come back, but it wavered as soon as I felt it. I might not appear to be broken, I knew that I was. I was numb, uncaring about what happened to me. This entire conversation was just a distraction from the reality of what happened. Felix exchanged a look with Demetri, silently debating whether it was worth the fight, I suppose. Eventually, they simply nodded.  
"As you wish." Next, Felix walked towards me and tied the laces of the dress in the back, "I will have to carry you." I nodded, slightly grateful for not having to use my feet too much. I stepped into the shoes Felix had brought. They were slightly big, but that was perfect considering my feet were bandaged.  
"How did you know my size?"  
"Our eye-size as well as intellectual capacity is quite advanced." He merely stated, before gathering me up in his arms.  
"Do I want to know where you got them?"


	20. Bon Voyage

I felt my eyes close slowly as I finally found a comfortable position in Felix arms. I was beyond tired and longed for some sleep. When I was asleep, I could pretend everything was alright. So, I let myself take a quick nap.

After some time, I felt a cold hand shake me awake, at which point I opened my eyes. The salty smell of the sea hit my nose and I furrowed my brows in confusion, before realization hit me. They were going to take me on a ship.  
"Oh hell no," I spoke before I could think about it. Their faces snapped to me, light amusement shining in Demetri's red eyes. "No, no, no. We are not going to board a ship." I huffed as Felix put me down. A sharp pain shot through my feet when they touched the ground, which made me hiss in pain slightly, before moving my weight from my right to my left foot, which made it a bit more bearable.  
"I do not believe you have a choice, Evelyn." Demetri crossed his arms, the hint of a smile on his lips, which made me narrow my eyes at him. He was enjoying this a tad bit too much for my liking.  
"_I _will not set foot on a ship." I corrected myself, crossing my arms as well.  
"Clarify this for me, you escaped the pyre on which you were meant to burn and are willing to cut flesh off your own foot, yet you are fearful of a peaceful sea voyage?"  
"You call this a peaceful sea voyage?" I scoffed, thinking of all the horrible things I had read about in numerous history books. Storms, scurvy, infectious diseases... "I am not familiar with the exact numbers, but I'm pretty sure my survival chances are extremely low. Not to mention, aren't sailors extremely superstitious, believing women should not be allowed on a ship?" Demetri simply rolled his eyes.  
"We pay them well enough." Demetri started, "If it is pirates you are worried about, as you pointed out yourself, Felix and I are more than capable of handling those." Fuck, I hadn't even considered pirates yet. Goddamnit, of course there would be pirates. Fuck. At seeing my even more worried look, Demetri's eyes furrowed in confusion.  
"What bothers you, then, if it is not pirates. I am certain we can ease your mind." His voice was smooth and alluring to a point where I almost gave in to anything he would ask of me. I shook that feeling off me, recognizing he was trying to manipulate me.  
"Are all vampires naturally gorgeous and alluring?" I stood my ground, trying to push off the feeling that wanted to give into his soothing words and do whatever he said. He looked slightly impressed, possibly due to my determination. Stubbornness can be quite useful... From the corner of my eye, I saw Felix smirk at Demetri, almost as if he was taunting him for not being able to so easily lure me in.  
"I suppose," He smiled, "But do not think you can evade my question so easily."  
"Fine. I told you before: I will not die of an infection."  
"Your... treatment... should ail that, should it not." Of course he didn't realize there was a difference between an infectious disease spread from human to human, or rat to human (of which there were plenty on those ships) and an infection of a wound.  
"Doesn't work that way." I simply muttered, deciding that it would not help either one of us if I would try and explain the intricacies that underlie human disease. "And even if it did, there is the problem of scurvy and other deficiencies." I was pretty sure that lemon juice or other citrus fruit was not yet given during this time.  
"I assure you, we'll take good care of you." The glint in his eye told me this discussion was over, in his opinion at least. Part of me was surprised he had entertained me for so long.  
"I am not going to board a ship." I stated again. Apparently, I did very much want to live after all. At least, I had very little desire in dying from an easily preventable disease on a ship.  
"You are, and we are leaving now."  
"You will have to drag me there kicking and screaming then." Their eyes told me they were seriously going to do that "Or, I will come willingly if you let me bring some fruit." Demetri eyed me up and down, obviously displeased that I, as a woman (or a human, perhaps), dared make demands of him.  
"That should be no issue," Felix spoke before Demetri could open his mouth. The latter shot him an almost warning look. Felix simply shrugged his shoulders: "Otherwise, it seems more of a hassle than it is worth , wouldn't you agree," After a couple of seconds of silence, Demetri finally nodded his head, shooting me one more disapproving look, which I met with as much fire in my eyes as I could. As Demetri walked off, the other vampire walked up to me and took my arm in his.  
"Do not make me regret this, Evelyn." He whispered, before supporting me in the walk towards the village. I smiled genuinely at him, grateful for his support.  
"I can be quite well-behaving, you know."  
He smirked down at me. "Somewhere, I sincerely doubt that, but I cannot help but hope that it is true."


	21. Ships, superstitions and flowing tears

I could hardly get used to the looks they were continuously giving me. The sailors, or what was left of them, at least, would give me dirty looks every time I passed them on the deck. Even after three weeks of being on this god-forsaken ship, during which around half of the sailors had died of a variety of causes (I was happy for my oranges, yet felt incredibly bad about not being able to help the rest of the sailors – they would not accept fruit from a woman), they had still not gotten used to a woman being so openly in view on their ship. Demetri and Felix had tried to keep me confined to the cabin, but I quickly made it clear to them I would lose my mind if I had to be locked away the entire day. After a heated discussion of around half an hour, I flatly told them I would break out if I had to and asked whether they preferred the scenario of me being accompanied by them or the scenario in which I break out and risk stumbling upon some not so friendly sailors. With a roll of his eyes, a grumbling of how my etiquette was extremely lacking and a threat of him killing me as soon as he had the chance, Demetri had caved. Felix had only been highly amused the entire time. Although he too, believed me to be lacking in most social skills, he had come to accept it and merely found it entertaining, which further fueled Demetri's annoyance.  
So, all of that led to us currently standing on the deck of the ship, me staring into the deep darkness of the ocean, wondering how many creatures lay hidden. How many of those had mankind not discovered yet? During this time, undoubtedly many more, yet so much still remained to be discovered in my time as well. If we ever get the chance for it. After all, the earth was changing rapidly due to mankind's inconsiderate behaviour: politicians denying climate changes, companies continuing to extract oil, mass over-consumption of meat. We were going to lead ourselves to our own doom.  
Though I suppose that wasn't a current issue.  
Climate change would not be a problem for many years.  
"You are not considering jumping overboard, are you, Evelyn?" Felix snapped me out of my musings and I glanced sideways. His eyes sparked with amusement, yet his voice told me he was half serious.  
"Taking into account her clear lack of intelligence, she just might." Demetri spoke, still sour of having lost the argument that allowed me on the deck of the ship. In order to distract myself from all that was happening, I had resorted to taunting Demetri every chance I got, so that is what I did this time as well. Stupidly, some might say, considering Demetri obviously outranked Felix and he had already made it abundantly clear that he strongly disliked me. I had very little to lose, so I ignored my rational side, instead pinching his cheek.  
"Next argument we have, Dem, I will let you win out of the kindness of my heart." He narrowed his eyes at my nickname for him, before slapping away my hand. He grumbled, but I knew he was not furious: his slap had been forceful, true, but not as strong as it could have been. Somewhere, I believed he might actually started to like me to a certain extent. Maybe I was growing on him. "And don't worry, Felix, if I ever decide to jump overboard, I will give you fair warning in advance."  
He smiled back at me, and I stared down once more, captivated by the ocean.  
"I've always been fascinated by the water. All life needs it to survive. It is calm and soothing, yet beautifully cruel, deadly and harsh during storms." I spoke without meaning to, folding my arms in front of me. The wind blew the hair from my face.  
"A bit of an odd fascination to have, yet I suppose it is not your oddest characteristic." Felix smirked.  
"My brother found it odd as well." I smiled sadly, remembering a time, long ago, when our parents had taken us to the beach for the weekend. I had loved it. Oliver not so much. "He feared the water, refusing to go near it. He was convinced a shark was going to jump out and eat him." I chuckled, his face almost solidifying in front of me. Our parents had tried everything - and failed miserably - in trying to coax him into the water: treats, play. I, being the mean 9 year old I was, had simply filled a bucket with sea water and dropped it unceremoniously over his head. When I told Felix as much, he burst out laughing.  
"So you never have been a proper lady." I shrugged.  
"He dared to go into the water up to his knees after that." I smiled, "He resorted to ignoring me for three days straight, however, until I apologized."  
"Where is your brother now?" Felix asked. The question was innocent enough, yet I froze completely, his bloodied face flashing in front of my eyes. I could almost hear his trembling voice, begging me to run. I clenched my eyes shut, swallowing back the sadness that was wallowing deep inside of me. Even Demetri seemed to catch onto my sudden change of mood.  
"Did he finally shun you from the family, realizing that you were worthless and a whore?" His voice cut through me and the sadness came back in full force. I opened my eyes, blinking back the tears, before moving away from the deck and back to the cabin. Luckily, the wounds were healing quite well, having become a mere nuisance when I was walking around. Thus, I made my way to the cabin I shared with Demetri and Felix and sat down on the incredibly uncomfortable bed.  
Images of his death kept flashing before my eyes and nothing I did, made them go away. I couldn't help but feel it was my fault. He died trying to protect me. I hugged my knees close to me, leaning against the wooden wall and burying my face in my arms. Finally, I allowed the tears to spill. I don't know how long I sat there for, my body shaking with violent sobs, tears streaming down my face. For the first time, I actually grieved for the brother I lost. I had always appreciated him. I had loved him. For a very long time, he was all I had and vice versa.  
"I did not think you could show any emotion besides scorn and amusement." Demetri appeared in front of me and I visibly froze, shocked by his sudden appearance. I snorted, refusing to look up at him, instead I rested my cheek on my arm and focused on the side of the cabin.  
"Sometimes it is easier to hide behind happiness and sarcasm, rather than to address the sadness inside." From the corner of my eye, I saw him consider those words, before something on his face changed and he sat down beside me.  
"I do apologize for having caused you this much turmoil, Evelyn." I looked to the right, taking in his perfect appearance.  
"Felix convinced you to come down here?" He smirked before shaking his head.  
"Regardless of whether you believe me or not, I do find your presence mildly entertaining and I did not wish to see you so upset."  
"It wasn't your fault." I wiped the tears from my face, realizing how pathetic I must look right now. "I think it was bound to happen sometime." I had been refusing to acknowledge the grief for weeks now, always pushing it to the back of my mind and now it finally spilled over.  
"Why would you say that?" For a few seconds, I pondered on whether I should tell him, before coming to the conclusion that it did not matter.  
"They killed him. The villagers. Right before they took me to be burned at the stake." I left out the small detail that he probably would have died regardless, due to him being stabbed by the other men. Something akin to sympathy crossed Demetri's eyes before he nodded.  
"He is in a better place." He offered and I smiled a sad smile, appreciating he was at least trying to make me feel better. Next, he offered me his handkerchief in a very old-fashioned gesture, which made me laugh through my tears.  
"I'm no damsel in distress." I snorted, finally able to push back the tears. He smiled.  
"Believe me, I have come to realize that." Still, I took the piece of cloth and wiped away the remainder of my tears. "We should arrive by tomorrow, do try to get some sleep." He stood up, smiled once more, before leaving the room.


	22. Beautiful castles and horrifying truths

I was brought back to reality by a sudden movement of the ship, which nearly caused me to fall out of bed. You'd think I would have gotten used to those movements by now... Sighing, I got up before washing myself with some cloth and some water from the bucket in the corner. I straightened my dress and quickly brushed through my hair – Felix had been kind enough to provide me with one before embarking on the ship. Regardless, it felt dirty and I had never wished for something as simple as shampoo before.  
"How are you feeling?" I hadn't heard Felix enter, but it didn't scare me as much as it used to do. After having lived with them for a couple of weeks, I had mostly gotten used to their sudden appearances and disappearances.  
"I'm good." I smiled at him, trying to convince him I wouldn't break down crying again. He seemed to accept it and grabbed my cloak-wrapped bag from the corner of the room as I braided my hair.  
"I can carry it myself."  
"I am aware." He smirked in response before both of us went upstairs to the main deck, where Demetri was waiting, his hood up to protect himself from the sun.  
"Do you actually burn in the sunlight?" I had asked them some questions about vampires already and they had been very accommodating in answering them, which also fueled my belief that I would not get out of this alive: either they would kill me or they would turn me. There was no way vampires would remain a secret if they would tell a human this much information.  
"No," Demetri answered, not providing any more detail until I cocked an eyebrow at him, "We sparkle." That made me laugh out loud for a couple of seconds, before I realized he was actually serious.  
"Wait... What."  
"Maybe we'll show you one day." Demetri simply said and that was the end of that. I could already see the harbour and I knew that meant I was going to meet their master soon. The thought did not bring me any fear, as it should. Just a sense of relief that it would all be over soon, one way or another.

As soon as we got on land, Demetri and Felix led me through the various small streets of the city. Everything was extremely fascinating. History books never did do these cities any justice. From everything my teacher taught me, I thought people in the past were extremely disorganized. However, the city was browsing with life. I knew my history teacher wasn't the best one ever, as they would always provide a rather narrow-minded perspective: I had always questioned whether there could ever be such a stark difference between people now and then. True, the city was absolutely disgusting and the smell of it is not something I'll easily forget – I had to be cautious of not stepping into human waste everywhere –, but everyone had their own task: running around to carry it out. They weren't that dissimilar from the people I knew. When we crossed the main square, however, I was once again hit by the cruelty of mankind when left unbound. Slaves were being auctioned off like pieces of meat. It stopped me dead in my tracks. The no doubt African woman on the platform was in terrible condition. Her eyes were blood-shot from crying and I could see the blood dripping down her legs from where I was standing. An iron collar was wound around her neck and wrists. She flinched when the slaver tore the clothes from her per request of one of the merchants, who wished to see the 'wares'. Almost, I stepped forward to defend the woman, but Felix cold hand stopped me.  
"It would almost seem like you have never seen a slave auction before." He stated, before dragging me with him. I couldn't help but glance back to see coins being handed to the slaver and the woman dragged off to a cart. I looked at the other people at the square, who simply went about their business. One day, humankind will regret this. Yet that day is still so far away. How many more women, children and men had to be shipped away from their home? How many families were still to be torn apart?  
"Those who deny freedom to others, do not deserve it themselves," I spoke, remembering the quote from my history book. Eventually, we came to the edge of the city, where Felix picked me up and ran after Demetri who was leading the way.

I do not know for how long they ran, but I would say a couple of hours at least. Long enough for me to grow incredibly bored. After all, there was nothing to do and I could not even watch the scenery at the pace Felix and Demetri were going.  
Finally, they seemed to slow down until we came to a full stop and Felix put me down again. In front of us, there was a cute-looking city, surrounded by sand-coloured city walls. I guess this was it.  
"Welcome to Volterra." Demetri spoke before taking my arm and guiding me through the city gates. The first thing I noticed was that the smell was less pungent than it had been in the other city - thankfully. The second thing was that people parted like the red sea before Demetri and Felix, keeping their eyes down whenever they got close. As if they were revering them.  
"So, this is where your master is?"  
"Our three masters, yes. Aro will be most interested in you." I hummed in response, slightly curious as to whether he specified one of them and left the others out. I will know soon enough, I suppose. The rest of the trip was spent in silence until we came to a beautiful small square. At least if I was going to die today, I had seen some of the beauty of Europe's ancient cities.  
"You live in a castle." I stated the obvious as Felix opened the door and Demetri led me inside.  
"Does that surprise you?" Felix smirked.  
"Maybe a little bit."  
"I would like to urge you to behave, Evelyn, if you value your life." Demetri said seriously.  
"What if I don't?" He shot me a look that made me believe he indeed spoke the truth when he admitted he had come to like me to a certain extent. I simply smiled back, before glancing at the numerous tapestries and paintings that adorned the walls. So much to see, yet no time to see it: Felix and Demetri kept a brisk pace until we came to an enormous pair of doors. Despite my conviction I would not be afraid, my heartbeat increased as Felix opened the doors easily.  
"Ah," a voice spoke from inside, cold, yet as smooth as Felix' and Demetri's. "You have finally returned to us." My eyes finally found the source of the sound as Demetri led me to the middle of the room. The man that had spoken had black, nearly straight hair that fell just below his shoulders. He wore black clothing with golden details which obviously cost a lot of money. Around his neck hung the same necklace that Demetri and Felix wore.  
"Yes, master, and we have brought you a gift." I rolled my eyes at that statement. I am not someone's property, therefore, I cannot be a gift. I wisely kept my mouth shut, however, for the first time since meeting them. The man walked up to Demetri and took one of his hands in his. That was a bit weird. Perhaps it was some custom I was simply unaware of? Whatever it was, I decided to ignore it, instead opting to survey the rest of the room. There were three thrones in the middle. The vampire on the right seemed extremely disinterested, whereas the one on the left seemed ready to bite my head off.  
Well. Nice to meet you to.  
Feeling slightly uncomfortable under his murderous gaze, I let my eyes wander to the rest of the vampires until I noticed a particularly attractive vampire. He seemed about my age with near-black hair and piercing red eyes that nearly took my breath away. His eyes were solely focused on me, taking in my appearance as I took in his. Even from where I was standing, I noticed how his face was sinfully beautiful: full red-tinted lips, a straight nose, high cheekbones and thick lashes framing his almond-shaped eyes. He was perfection if I'd ever seen it.


	23. Confusion, temptation and rage

I was almost too caught up in him that I didn't notice the other man coming closer.  
"Lady Evelyn," Wait, when did anyone tell him my name? "It is a pleasure to meet you." He smiled, yet it did not reach his eyes. He waited, as if expecting me to say something. Shaking myself out of my daze, I finally regained my senses. Instead of saying something kind, graceful or even remotely sensible, my mouth once again betrayed me.  
"I'm pretty sure I did not tell you my name." Of course, great way to start this conversation.  
"It is my gift, lady Evelyn," The man simply smiled, "I have the ability to read all thoughts a person has ever had with a single touch." Demetri and Felix never mentioned that vampires could have freakish gifts. Does anything in this world still make sense? Then again, this fitted perfectly didn't it: just another insane thing to add to my life.  
"Of fucking course." I muttered under my breath, not realizing they would hear regardless.  
"Fucking?"  
"She says that sometimes, master Aro." Felix gave me a look that told me to shut up. I ignored him. So this is Aro. Well, at least I could put a face to the name now.  
"May I?" Aro stretched out his hand towards me, clearly wanting to read my mind. It didn't seem like a question, more like a hidden demand, so I placed my hand in his. The coldness of his touch did not come as a surprise as he held my hand in his. I wasn't sure what I had to do, so I simply looked at Aro's face as his eyes glossed over. So, this was it. My utmost private thoughts were no longer just mine. I would now forever share them with this guy I just met. After a couple of seconds -I would have thought it would take him longer to rake through the millions of thoughts I must have had over my life-, he let go off my hand, staring down at me in confusion. There we go. That was a look I was getting very familiar with.  
"Impressive. I have never met a woman nor man for that matter who escaped a burning pyre." He simply spoke. It felt weird. I barely knew him, yet he now knew everything about me. I didn't like it. Not one bit. "I cannot read any thoughts from before the day your brother got killed..." He mused, walking towards Demetri, "Almost as if you did not exist before that and simply materialized from thin air."  
"Well, that about sums it up." Some kind of relief washed over me: he did not know everything. He could only read my thoughts from the moment I appeared here. That sort of makes sense. After all, technically, I wasn't alive before that moment. I hadn't even been born yet. Oh god. What if I changed the future? What if my mere presence here has caused the death of millions in the future? What if Hitler wouldn't be defeated? I had no clue how my presence would affect it, but I had heard of the butterfly effect. Fuck. This could be really bad. Before I could continue my train of thought, Aro appeared in front of me once more, holding my phone in his hand, inspecting it.  
"Where are you from?" His eyes met mine. "Were the villagers right in their belief you are in allegiance with the devil?"  
I scoffed.  
"For someone who read my thoughts, you do not know me very well," sometimes I wished I never learned how to talk. This would be one of those moments.  
"We should have her punished for this..." The blonde vampire on the throne screeched, but Aro raised his hand towards him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Demetri's murderous gaze focused on me. I simply cocked my eyebrow at him, daring him to say something, yet knowing he was absolutely right for thinking me a moron right now.  
"Be at ease, brother." Aro calmed the blonde-haired vampire enough for him to sit down. "I know you do not hold the Christian faith, yet the question remains, where are you from?" He held up my phone, twirling it in his hand, as if to make a point that this was not normal: that this was the devil's work.  
Sighing, I looked around the room once more, my gaze lingering a tad bit longer on the beautiful boy in the corner.  
"I don't know how it happened, or why it happened. It should have been absolutely impossible, but I was somehow transported here." I began, realizing how absolutely crazy I sounded, "From the year 2019."  
Everything was absolutely quiet, so I took that as my cue to continue.  
"The device you are holding, is called a phone. It is not demonic. I didn't trade my soul for it: I simply bought it at a nearby store." Some would argue that by buying the phone I support the sweatshops where they are made, which might be a tad bit evil. I decided to leave that out, however. "They are extremely common where I am from." I pointed towards it, which snapped Aro and the rest out of their stupor.  
"You are a fool" The blonde sneered, obviously believing me to be lying, "I cannot bear fools."  
I scoffed.  
"Apparently, your mother could." It was official: I did not value my life at all. But damn, I've always wanted to use that quote ever since I came across it. The blonde looked ready to lunge at me.  
"You are a mere woman," He stood up, breaking his chair in the progress, "A mere pathetic little human who only serves to satisfy our thirst. You are nothing. You cannot hold a candle to our greatness" He looked murderous as he stalked towards me. A low growl stopped him however. I wasn't entirely sure where it came from, but it seemed to surprise him enough to stop him in his tracks. I simply smiled, furthering my belief I had gone absolutely mad.  
"Where I am from, humans would blow you to pieces and return you to the dirt."  
I really have become suicidal.


	24. Anger-fueled conversations

The blonde ran at me, but before he could do anything, Felix had grabbed him and Aro stood before him, speaking soothing words. Even the boy I had been eyeing before leaned in, as if to strike when necessary.

I wasn't a 100% sure on whether the bombs would kill them: Demetri and Felix never enlightened me on that particular subject, but anything could be killed and nuclear bombs tend to do the job.  
"Do not let her words faze you, brother. She has merely been thrown into an insane situation. She is extremely tired from her trip." Aro held up his hands as you would to calm down a wild animal. That seemed appropriate.  
Demetri moved towards me, standing slightly in front of me.  
"You have very little regard for your own life." I merely shrugged in response, before peeping over his shoulder. The blonde seemed to have calmed down enough for Felix to let him go. With one final growl, he was gone. Aro sighed, before turning around and walking back to me.  
"Do tell me, what does this do?" Aro acted like nothing happened and held my phone up.  
"Most of its functions are useless really, as they rely on satellites." I simply stated.  
_"Satellites?" _Aro questioned twirling around the phone in such a way that I was afraid it would fall and break into a million little pieces.  
"They are contraptions that humans sent into space."  
"Humans sent things into space?" Aro was dumb-struck, obviously this was becoming too much for him, even as a vampire. Not wanting to go into all of that, I instead continued on trying to get him to understand what a phone is and what it does. It felt like I was explaining something to a three year old...  
"Yes, either way, the original purpose of phones is to call other people," Confused looks were thrown my way, "To talk to people over long distances."  
"Fascinating." He seemed to think about it, "If it is dysfunctional, how did you terrify the villagers with it?"  
"That is a different function, it's called a camera." Multiple confused looks were thrown my way. "It is like making a painting, but incredibly accurate and quick." That did not seem to make it any clearer to them. For god's sake... Didn't Felix say their intelligence was unmatched? "Here, I'll show you." Aro handed me the phone and I turned it on, the familiar screen coming to life. The battery still had 83 percent. That was good. Yet I knew the camera would drain the battery very fast, so I quickly selected the camera function and held it up for Aro to see. I touched the button and a light that took everyone except Demetri and Felix by surprise, flashed through the room.  
"See?" I showed him the picture of the three thrones and the few vampires that were gathered around it. My eyes focused on the boy in the picture, concluding that it did not do him any justice, before glancing his way. His eyes were already on me, but were much darker than before. The intensity almost became too much and I quickly averted my eyes.  
"Absolutely fascinating." Aro marveled before I decided to turn the phone off. Immediately, Aro walked back to his throne, seemingly in thought.  
"If you are going to kill me, could you at least do it quickly." I spoke when I couldn't handle the silence any longer. Another loud growl, similar to the one before, echoed through the room and my ears could now locate the sound. The boy. He seemed absolutely livid. Within a fraction of a second, he stood before Aro and gave him his hand.  
"Wonderful." Aro spoke after another second. "You may change her whenever you desire." The boy nodded, before flashing over to me. From up close, he was even more perfect. His scent washed over me and I had to hold myself back from moving closer and soaking it in. Keep it together, Evelyn.  
"Wait. What is happening?" This was all going too fast. I didn't understand anything that was being said.  
"You are mine." The boy spoke, his voice even more alluring than should be humanly possible. But then again, he wasn't human, was he.  
"Oh no." I spoke, some of my spirit returning, "I'm not _yours._" Even though some part of me wanted it. I didn't even know in what way he thought of me as his, but part of me loved it. I pushed that away to the back of my mind. "I'm not _anyone's." _He growled in response, his eyes darkening. I refused to look away.  
"You are my mate," He spoke before grabbing my arm "You shall do as I say." That was the moment all of my rage truly returned. I did not fucking survive a goddamn fire to be whisked away by some arrogant -although impossibly attractive- asshole. So I trashed against his grip. Whoever said beauty was treacherous, was absolutely right. This creature before me was the absolute epitome of beauty and perfection, yet he had no respect for me or my wishes for that matter.  
"Whatever claim you think you have over me, I do not accept it." I hissed, attempting to hit him, but he simply caught my arm in his other hand before twisting me around and picking me up.

Within seconds I was no longer in the throne room. Instead, I was dropped in a smaller, stone-walled room. After a couple of seconds in which my brain struggled to make sense of the sudden change of surroundings, I looked around. It was a bedroom, I noticed as my eye fell on the king-sized bed in the left corner. After realizing what was happening, I scrambled away from the vampire who brought me here.  
"Stay away from me." I hissed and I was mildly impressed by the amount of authority and sheer determination I put into that sentence. The boy cocked his perfectly-shaped eyebrow. My back hit the wall.  
"You have no right to make demands." He spoke while closing the distance between us. "Considering you are obviously lacking in some decent etiquette, let me clarify this to you. You are a mere woman. You are my mate. You will do as I say, when I say it. You will answer my affection. In return, I shall turn you."  
"Fuck off." I replied. He growled lowly. A warning. Within a fraction of a second, he was right in front of me, his hands on either side of my shoulders, caving me in. His pitch black eyes, like bottomless pits, stared me down. I gulped back the fear that was starting to rise deep inside of me. I would not submit to him. "I'm not yours in any way, shape or form." I spoke more confidently than I was currently feeling. When he grabbed my arm, a tad bit too violently, I tried to twist out of his way. It was all in vain. He was much quicker than I could ever be. Within a second, he pushed me face first against the wall. I groaned as a flash of pain shot through my chest and arms. One of his hands was at my shoulder, pressing me against the cold stones, while the other, in stark contrast, caressed my waist. Although the movement brought me some satisfaction, I refused to admit that and pulled away from his touch the best I could.  
"I am not afraid to discipline you if necessary, Evelyn." He leaned forward, almost touching my earlobe with his lips. "Do not tempt me."


	25. Blackouts, chats and dizziness

Finally, his grip weakened and I managed to squirm away. His eyes followed me.  
"Don't you dare lay a finger on me." I hissed, moving towards the table that was in the middle of the room, not making the same mistake of letting him corner me so easily. He scoffed.  
"You'll learn the hard way then." He spoke before closing the gap between him and me easily. I couldn't help but let out a shriek at the sudden movement. As I struggled to get away from him, he grabbed the skirt of my dress. The fabric tore under the opposing powers of him trying to pull me closer and my using all my strength to move the other way. Consequently, the boy's counter-pressure was suddenly gone and I completely lost my balance stumbling backward. The boy could have easily prevented me from falling, but he didn't. Instead he simply watched as I tumbled to the ground. My head hit the corner of the table, sending a sharp pain through me. Dark spots danced before my eyes and for a few moments I was completely unaware of where I was, before I succumbed to the darkness. The last thing I felt was my body hitting the cold floor.

I do not know how long I was unconscious for, but when I woke up, I was lying on the bed. Groaning, I sat up. Immediately, a sharp headache made itself known. Instinctively, I brought my hand up to feel the bruise. A bump was definitely forming. Black dots were still forming in front of my eyes and I blinked to clear my vision.  
"Are we correct in assuming your meeting with Alec did not go smoothly?" Demetri asked, standing in the middle of the room with Felix.  
"Who?" My mind was still hazy, but the headache was becoming less bad and I managed to get out of the bed.  
"The vampire who brought you here." Felix clarified. At least now I can put a name to that asshole's face. Felix nodded towards my bag, which they had apparently brought with them. I was extremely grateful that they had. The stuff in there was my last connection to my life. To the life I used to have. "Will anything in there make it better?" I shook my head, for which I was immediately punished by another sharp pain.  
"No. I just hit my head, it will be better soon." I walked towards one of the chair and sat down as the haziness in my brain finally seemed to leave.  
"Alec told us what happened."  
"I doubt it." I scoffed. Sure, he would have told them his version, but I honestly doubted the accuracy of that report.  
"You are in a different time, Evelyn. With different customs..."  
"I'm not his property." I interrupted, the sheer determination once again solidifying inside of me. Demetri and Felix shared a look, before apparently deciding to let it rest.  
"He will be back soon, now that you have regained consciousness." Demetri stated, before seemingly spacing off and then nodding to himself. "He is on his way." A sense of dread washed over me, before I forced that back. I would not show him any weakness, as he'd probably exploit it.  
"How do you know?" I started, before realizing it myself, "Let me guess, it is your gift." He smiled, before nodding.  
"I'm a tracker." I looked towards Felix and he shook his head.  
"I have no gift, unfortunately. My strength, however, is superior enough to grant me a place on the guard." Before I could say anything else, the door of the room opened once more and Alec strode in like he owned the place. I suppose he did. This was, after all, most-likely his room. His eyes fell on Demetri and Felix and they immediately left. Well, so much for expecting some support from them. Next, he looked at me, taking in my appearance.  
"Have you regained your senses, girl." He spoke, moving closer to the chair I was sitting in. The way he moved was incredibly graceful: as if he was dancing rather than walking. As he got closer, his scent washed over me once more and I could only just stop myself from leaning closer to smell more of it. It was a musky odor, with a hint of freshness to it. Before, I had sometimes wondered how effective pheromones truly were. Any doubt had now permanently left my mind. My heartbeat increased and by the smirk on his face, I knew he noticed.  
"I wasn't aware I had lost them. Have you?" I folded my hands in my lap, shaking myself from the daze he was putting me in. Instead, I was staring daggers at the vampire in front of me.  
"Careful." He simply said, before stopping right in front of the chair.  
"Or what? You'll discipline me?" I stood up, which was probably not a good idea, as dizziness immediately coursed through me and my head started pounding again. Being so close to Alec that our noses almost touched did nothing to help in any way, his presence clouding my mind. "If it is true that I'm your _mate _as you claim, shouldn't that mean you have some affection for me." Either it was that, or pure lust.  
"I have not punished you for your insolent behaviour yet, have I?" I scoffed.  
"That is not affection, that is merely decent behaviour." His eyes narrowed at me, but I refused to back off, regardless of how murderous he looked.  
"You will learn to appreciate me." He leaned in even closer, to the point that our lips were a mere inch apart. My heart skipped a beat at our proximity as my body yearned to close that gap.  
"Or you'll make me?" I challenged, finally looking up from his lips to his eyes. His pupils were slightly dilated, betraying his anger and possibly lust.  
"Yes." His hands somehow found their way to my waist, his touch soft as a feather and I suppressed the desire to wound my arms around him. "One way or another." He confirmed as he tightened his grip to the point that it would bruise, leaving no doubt in my mind about what he meant. Either I would submit willingly, or he'll beat me into submission. My eyes narrowed at him.  
"Forced affection is not affection. If it is not freely given, it is worthless." I spoke, before taking a step to the side, needing to get some distance between me and this infuriatingly beautiful creature. A stark contrast with his behaviour. His eyes followed my movements and for a second I thought he was going to stop me, but he let me go as I walked to the table and grabbed my bag. I took out my history book, deciding that reading would be a good distraction. When I moved towards the door, a cold hand wrapped around my wrist. Alec pulled me back towards him, turning me around to face him.  
"You will not leave, unless I give you permission."


	26. Determination and break-outs

"You cannot keep me locked up in here."  
"I can," He smiled almost cruelly, "And I will." He let go of my wrist and walked towards the door, grabbing a key from his pocket. "Until you learn your place, you shall not leave this room." He opened the door.  
"You have no right." I hurried after him, but he simply walked out and slammed the door in my face. I heard the key turn in the lock before there was no sound at all. "You fucking bastard." I screamed after him, knowing he would hear it. For good measure, I slammed my fist against the door as well. Groaning in frustration, I turned around and led my eyes wander over the room. If he thought I was going to stay in here, he was wrong. I've cracked upon a lock before, when I had forgotten my key and Oliver hadn't been home yet. I was pretty sure that lock was a lot more complicated than this 17th century one. I just needed something that I can put in the lock. There must be something here I can use to pry it open...

After at least ten minutes of searching, I came up with nothing. His stuff was absolutely useless for prying locks open. For a moment, I thought of simply thrashing his entire room out of protest, but decided that was a bit childish. Not to mention it would not bring me one step closer to getting out of this prison... A fancy prison perhaps, but a prison nonetheless. As my eyes fell on my bag, the solution suddenly came to me. The knife I had used to cut away the cloth in my foot was still in there as well as the pair of scissors. Feeling stupid for not thinking about this before, I took out the knife and quickly went to work on the door.  
As expected, within a minute, I heard a tell-tale click sound of the lock being opened. Smiling to no one, I took the knife out and put it back in my bag. So far, everyone seemed to respect my privacy by not sneaking around in it. I'd just have to trust that Alec wouldn't either. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't realize that I could break open the door with a knife. Extremely satisfied with myself, I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me so nothing would seem out of place. Realizing I was extremely hungry and could use a snack that was not dried bread or an orange, I set out to find the kitchens.  
As I walked through the hallways, looking for the kitchen, I stopped now and then to look at the beautiful tapestries and paintings on the wall. Most of them depicted either biblical scenes or wars, but some of them were portraits. On one of them, I recognized the three masters. Another depicted Alec with a blond-haired girl on his side. At that one, I had paused for longer, inspecting the woman in the painting, wondering what her relation to him was. They seemed like siblings? Did they not? When I realized that jealousy had partially driven me to that conclusion, I swiftly turned away from the painting and walked away at a brisk pace. I was so deep in thought that I didn't pay enough attention to my surroundings and I suddenly bumped into something hard. And cold. Stumbling back a bit, before regaining my balance, I looked up at the vampire. The painting hadn't depicted her well: she was absolutely gorgeous. Standing before me was the woman in the painting with Alec.  
"Sorry, I should have paid more attention to where I was going." I spoke, trying to sound as friendly as possible. She simply stared at me, making me a tad bit uncomfortable. "Ehm, I'm Evelyn."  
"I know who you are." Her voice was melodic, yet there was a cold undertone to it. Her entire being gave off a 'do not cross me vibe'. Another couple of seconds of silence.  
"And you are?" I dared ask.  
"Jane."  
"Well, nice to meet you." I smiled, deciding to be nice. Whoever she was and whatever her relation to Alec, I was glad to have found a girl around my age - my physical age at least. For all I knew she was over a thousand years old. That did not mean I had any idea of what to say to her. Silence once more ruled our conversation, which had been pretty one-sided to begin with, until Jane finally spoke.  
"Should you not be in Alec's room?"  
"No." I spoke curtly, but Jane simply raised her eyebrow, indicating she knew I was supposed to be there. "He has no say over me, whether he accepts it or not."  
"Hmm." Her eyes never left mine. There was no sign of emotion on her face or in her eyes that betrayed her thoughts on the matter.  
"Does it never bother you?" I blurted out before I could think about it.  
"Excuse me?" Jane's confusion was clearly written over her entire face.  
"I mean, do they treat you as less as well, merely because you are a woman?" She seemed to think about it for a second, before apparently deciding to ignore my question.  
"Where are you heading towards?" She instead asked, her head slightly cocked to the right, her bright red eyes slowly taking in my appearance.  
"I was looking for the kitchen, could you perhaps point me into the right direction?" I was getting a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and started fidgeting with the fabric of the dress, which made me realize it was still ripped. It was not like I could do anything about it right now. Besides, the shift underneath covered everything that one would want to be covered in this century.  
"I'll lead you there. Follow me." Jane turned around on her heels and started walking down the hallway.


	27. Leaving that bag of stones behind

I ran after her, halting to walk in line with her. For a couple of minutes, we walked in utter silence as I tried to memorize the road we were taking. Unfortunately, navigation had never been my strong suit and being in a time without internet made me realize how much I actually relied on Google to find my way around town. So, after around the fourth turn, I gave up. Instead, I glanced towards the vampire next to me. Her hair, a nice blonde colour, was braided into a tight bun on the back of her head. Her cheekbones, as Alec's, were well-defined, her lips tainted red.  
"Do you wish to ask me something." Her eyes all of a sudden shifted to me, obviously having realized that I had been examining her. I immediately looked ahead.  
"I'm sorry, that was rude." I apologized, fidgeting with my hands once more. Silence once more surrounded us, the only sound coming from our footsteps. Realizing this made it even worse, I decided to ask her a relatively harmless question.  
"So what is it you do around here?"  
"Do around here?" She questioned, glancing briefly in my direction, before taking another turn left. Walking down the small stairs, I clarified.  
"Yes, do you work here? Are you a guard as well?"  
"Yes, I am part of the elite guard." Something akin to pride seeped through her normally distant, emotionless voice. Her face seemed to light up as well, making her seem more like her physical age than before. It brought a smile to my face.  
"That is amazing." I praised, "You must be incredibly powerful and convincing." She must have been. If Alec's -and to some extent Felix' and Demetri's- behaviour were anything to go by, they did not take kindly to powerful women in this time.  
"I do." She spoke mysteriously, glancing back. Her eyes were still sparkling slightly, yet I could see she was trying to push that away. It made me speak before I could think about it. I truly wished to never have learnt to speak...  
"Why do you do that?" Again, confusion. I supposed I should be used to it by now. "Forbidding yourself from feeling happy?" That made her stand still in her tracks, making me almost crash into her. She turned to me within a fraction of a second. Her red eyes narrowed slightly as her hand grabbed my wrist. For a second, I thought I had crossed some line I really shouldn't have crossed and I tensed completely, slightly scared of what this vampire would do to me. Part of me still longed to live and my heartrate increased as her eyes darkened a few shades. Then, a sort of peace washed over me, making me realize once more how little I cared. If she'd kill me here, at least Alec wouldn't get what he wanted... Finally, after what seemed like hours, the grip on my wrist loosened and her eyes regained their 'normal' colour.  
"What makes you believe I do?"  
"It is quite obvious." But then again, I had spent the many years in the company of people who refused to let themselves feel happy or satisfied. Broken people. The other strippers, who were all in financial trouble; some of the clients who merely came there to drown their troubles in alcohol; the occasional homosexual who was too afraid of his own sexuality. Besides, me and Oliver had refused to be happy for a long time. Whenever dad got arrested, we would feel awful for feeling happy for a long time, so we lived in a constant state of sadness. By now, I knew a broken person when I saw one. I pulled my arm from her grip and she let me.  
"No one noticed before." She replied thoughtfully, before resuming to walk towards the kitchen.  
"Why do you do it?" I repeated my question now that I was sure she wasn't going to kill me anytime soon at least. She sighed, seemingly debating whether she should say anything or not.  
"If I do not allow myself to be happy, there is nothing that can be taken away from me." She finally spoke as she opened a wooden door. Behind it was the kitchen, which was exactly as the history books described them: there was a huge fireplace against the wall, over which an iron pot was placed. The counters were made of wood, some vegetables were stowed in crates in the corner and some forgotten bread was on the counter. Apart from that, a few pieces of dried meat hung from the ceiling above the vegetables.  
"If you have no happiness, what is there to live for?" I asked Jane as I walked towards the vegetables and meat, deciding to cook myself some vegetable soup.  
"Perhaps." She mused, leaning against the wall. "I could call the cook."  
"No, that is fine." I looked for a knife for a couple of seconds, before starting to cut the onions. "Why do you have so much human food anyway?"  
"We have human servants. They do not know we are immortals: they simply do their duty, wash our clothes, make our beds and do not ask any questions."  
"Don't they talk?" After all, everyone likes gossiping. And what better gossip was there than some royal family that never slept, didn't eat and was sinfully beautiful?  
"Mostly, they do not leave the castle. Whenever they do, they know better than to spread rumours." The glint in her eyes told me exactly what happened to those that forgot. I swallowed back my unease at the killing of innocent people as I grabbed some leeks and carrots.  
"How are you not afraid?" Jane moved closer to me, seemingly studying me.  
"Of what?"  
"My ability to end your life within a second." She simply stated.  
"When there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to fear." I stated, not wanting to get deeper into the death of my brother and the hopelessness of my situation here. "Do you know how to light a fire?" I asked instead, wanting to start to cook the onions. Jane gave me a weird look, before flashing over to a rope that I had not noticed before. A few minutes after having pulled it, Jane turned to the door as a girl came rushing in. She curtsied to Jane, visibly trembling from fear.  
"Start a fire." Jane commanded in a voice that brought some fear to me as well. The girl practically ran over to the fire place. As she was working on it, I moved closer to Jane, fascinated by her.  
"How long have you been here?" I asked in a low voice so the girl wouldn't hear.  
"Around 800 years."  
"Damn." that was a very long time to be alive. And a very long time to be unhappy. "Doesn't it get boring?"  
"At times, but I have my brother to entertain me."


	28. Siblings, soup and secrets

"Is there anything else you'd like me to do, lady Jane." The girl interrupted before I could ask about Jane's brother. My eyes fell to her trembling form once more, her eyes cast downwards. From the corner of my eye, I indeed saw the fire burning. She had fixed that rather quickly. Jane glanced towards me in question.  
"Ehm, could you bring some water?" I smiled kindly at her, but she couldn't see it as she was still looking intently at the floor. Instead, she nodded, curtsied and left without another word.  
"You have a brother?" I asked as I put the onions and the other vegetables into the giant iron pot over the fireplace.  
"Yes," From the corner of my eye I saw Jane smirk slightly, "You have met him actually."  
"Who is it?" I stirred around the vegetables.  
"Alec." I choked on nothing. Literally nothing. I didn't even know why it shocked me so much, yet it did. After a couple of seconds, I swallowed and faced Jane, who looked slightly amused.  
"What." I managed to say, to which her smirk broadened even further. Right after, the girl entered with a bucket of water.  
"My lady." She curtsied to Jane again, before doing the same to me, "My lady." After that she was gone.  
"Alec is your brother?" I clarified and Jane nodded. "Damn, I'm sorry." That actually drew a chuckle out of her. It was absolutely melodic.  
"You really do not enjoy his company, do you?" Jane didn't even force herself back into an emotionless state as she eyed me, her eyes sparkling with humour.  
"He is absolutely ridiculous." I rolled my eyes. "If you do not mind my saying, of course." I quickly added, realizing she might not like me talking about her brother like that.  
"I do not mind. He can be quite a handful at times." She smiled genuinely at me, "Although, I have come to believe that you are as well."  
"Hey." I laughed, "That is hardly fair."  
"In the throne room, you insulted one of the masters. You seemed to have talked Demetri and Felix out of making you wear a corset," She gestured towards my apparently obvious lack of the garment, "You fought your mate, and managed to break out of his room. All in the span of a couple of hours."  
"Well, he was being a complete and utter asshole." I muttered before setting out to find a bowl for my soup. Jane's face scrunched up in confusion once more.  
"An asshole?" She repeated, obviously finding the expression extremely weird.  
"It is just a way to call people you do not like." I tried to explain.  
"He considered you to be a skelpie-limmer." I snorted as Jane said that. A skelpie-limmer? That must have been the stupidest word I have ever heard. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it meant.  
"A what?"  
"A badly behaving child."  
"He is the child, not me." Jane's smirk broadened at that as I put my soup in the bowl. I tore off some pieces of the bread and started dipping it in the soup. It wasn't the best soup I had ever made, yet it tasted like heaven. I had not had a good meal for such a long time and I was craving some vegetables, warmth and just anything that wasn't a dry cracker really. The bread was different than I was used to, but absolutely delicious as well: nice and crunchy on the outside, yet fluffy on the inside.  
"From his viewpoint, you are: you are rejecting your bond." I hadn't even realized Jane had said something until she repeated it. I simply rolled my eyes. I had been childish - or childlike depending on how you looked at it - many times in my life. For example, whenever I would see a swing, I couldn't help but get on it. One time, when I saw a very cute onesie, I had to have it, but it wasn't in my size, so I refused to try anything else the entire trip to the shopping mall - resulting in my not getting _any _new clothes. That was something I deeply regretted in the end. This, however, was not one of those times. Alec was being a complete and utter -although impossibly attractive- douche. When I told Jane as much, leaving out the part about my attraction to her brother, she actually cracked a smile.  
"Your parents never disciplined you?" She asked, still smiling.  
"Of course, just not in the way you are used to. Physical punishment is deeply frowned down upon where I'm from. It is considered child abuse. The child can even be removed from the home in such cases."  
"Removed?"  
"Yes, by the government," Despite my constant complaining and my deep hatred for the government due to their lack of care for those that served them, I had to admit they did do a good job in certain areas. Child protection was one of them. Although foster care was not always as great, they tried their best. "One particular branch of the government, that is. Child services."  
Jane hummed.  
"I'd wish we would have had that." She spoke so quietly I could barely hear it. For a couple of seconds, I stayed quiet, wondering whether I should say anything. Seeing her sad expression, I decided to probe very carefully.  
"Your parents mistreated you?" Her eyes met mine. They did.  
"It does not matter. I have been blessed with a new life." It was as if she was simply repeating what she had told herself many times over.  
"That doesn't mean you cannot grieve for your old one." I spoke, the subject hitting close to home. After all, I had been given a new life. I wouldn't say I was blessed with it, far from it really. Yet, I did have a chance. Oliver wasn't given one. I swallowed back the sadness and turned back to my soup, trying to distract myself. Jane smiled sadly at me.  
"Perhaps I'll tell you one day." She confided and I smiled in return, happy to have started this fragile friendship.


	29. Fragile friendships and fearsome foes

Alec POV

When I finally returned to my room, the scent of my newly-found mate already waved over me in the hallway. It was absolutely mouthwatering: a perfect combination of lavender and honey. As the venom pooled into my mouth, I swallowed it back, the connection that I felt with the infuriating woman being stronger than my thirst for her blood. The second her scent had enveloped me in the throne room, I had known she was mine. She was my mate. As soon as I laid eyes on her, I wanted her like no other woman before her. The beast within me, the same that hungered for her blood, also longed to make her mine. To have her underneath me, her legs wrapped around my waist, her hair sprawling around her like a halo. I had to keep my thoughts from going further, reminding myself that she had been less than recipient to my advances before. My mate turned out to be aggravating and incredibly dim-witted to an almost nauseating degree: she refused to acknowledge the bond we obviously shared. She was attracted to me, there was no doubt in my mind about it, her body had responded to me as it should. However, she was more stubborn than a mule, struggling to get away from me, rather than submitting. Taming the beast, I recalled the vow I had made to never force myself on a woman after _that particular night_. As I neared the door, I drew the key from my pocket, before realizing I did not hear a heartbeat. Her scent was weak as well, as if she hadn't been here for quite some time. Within a second, I had put the key in the lock, discovering it was not locked anymore. I threw the door open, confirming what I already knew: she wasn't there.  
I growled lowly, anger filling my veins. Whoever dared to take her from my room, whoever dared to challenge my authority on the subject, was in for a very unpleasant surprise. I whipped around still growling, before taking a deep sniff of the air. There was no other scent but mine and hers. But that was impossible. The door had been locked, only to be opened from the outside. Surely, she couldn't have broken out... I had only been gone for half an afternoon. Sniffing the air once more, I rejected that thought. Unless there was someone that left no scent, she broke out indeed. For god's sake... That woman did not know what was good for her. And I was very intend on teaching her just that. She was going to learn. The hard way. I started tracking her, yet soon lost the scent. She must have escaped relatively quickly after I left.  
"Demetri." I growled loudly instead, my anger seeping through every letter. Demetri was in front of me within a second, a fearful look in his eyes. He was my friend, yet he knew better than to cross me: him being my friend did not make him exempt from my gift. "Where is she." I growled, Demetri's eyes flashing from confused, to shocked and finally amused and understanding.  
"I thought you locked her in there."  
"I did." I was curt, not wanting to waste any time with useless conversation.  
"She is an ingenious thing..." He trailed off as he saw my murderous look, before nodding and seemingly zoning out. As soon as he moved, I followed, trusting his gift. After a few seconds, I realized we were moving to the kitchen and I heard voices coming from the place. Evelyn. I threw open the door to the kitchen, which creaked in its hangers, the wood splintering slightly under the force. Demetri was on my side, staring at the scene in as much disbelief as I.  
Inside, were my mate and sister. Smiling.  
"And there I thought I had seen it all." Demetri mused as my sister's head shot to me, an entertained expression in her eyes. A second later, Evelyn also looked my way. Shock was almost immediately replaced by irritation and her eyes narrowed as she recognized me. She, however, had no right to be angry. She dared to break out of the room, even when I told her to stay there.  
"Brother, how lovely of you to join us."

Evelyn POV

I had been talking with Jane about a variety of things before the door was thrown open. The sound of cracking wood echoed through the room. My heartbeat increased immediately and I could only just keep myself from spilling the remainder of the soup all over myself. Jane seemed relaxed, looking at the door. When I turned my head to the door as well, part of me already knew what I would see. Still, I was annoyed at seeing him again so soon. Next to him was Demetri, who looked absolutely shocked for some reason.  
"Brother, how lovely of you to join us." Jane spoke, amusement in her voice. Alec did not seem to share that emotion. His eyes were darkening once more as he looked at me. Rage was clear behind them and I swallowed back the fear. Within a flash, he was in front of me, making me stumble back and drop the bowl in fear. It broke into a thousand little pieces on the floor, the small amount of soup that was still in there splattering everywhere.  
"I commanded you to stay in my room." Alec growled, his eyes piercing mine. "You shall learn not to disobey me again." The fear I felt was soon replaced by determination and rage once again coursed through my veins as he treated me as no more than his property.  
"I told you I would not stay there." I spoke angrily, straightening my back. "And I told you before, you have no say over me."  
"You will obey." Alec simply repeated, before grabbing my arm within a fraction of a second. His cold grip was tight, surely leaving bruises. Immediately, I struggled against him, knowing it was useless, yet unable to go meekly.  
"I'd rather die than submit."


	30. Infuriating beauty

My back met the counter a second after, Alec pushing me harshly against it. Growling, his other hand found my neck, exerting pressure to a point where it became uncomfortable and I was finding it hard to breath. I stared back into his now pitch black eyes, refusing to allow him to scare me. Meanwhile, I felt at the counter, finally finding what I was looking for after a few seconds.  
"You. Will. Submit." Alec growled, increasing the pressure on my throat with each word. I could not speak, but my hand tightened around the bucket and with one sharp movement, I threw the remainder of the water over him. Shocked, he let go off me, snarling and moving back. My hand immediately found my throat as I coughed and gasped. Fucking bastard. I bend over slightly as the air filled my burning throat again.  
"I. Will. Not." I panted. From the look in his eyes, I knew he was going to retaliate. Bracing myself for that moment, I straightened my back once more, looking him dead in the eyes. Before anything could happen, however, Jane flashed to her brother's side and placed her hand on his shoulder, restraining him. Alec immediately focused his attention on his sister, eyes slightly narrowed in irritation, yet mostly surprised at her interference.  
"She merely wished to eat, brother. If you are to keep a human, you must remember that they need sustenance more regularly than we do." Jane said in a calming voice. "There is no need to punish her for wanting to eat." Alec's eyes narrowed further, clearly annoyed that she spoke up for me, while I was silently cheering for her. I couldn't help but smirk smugly as Alec's eyes once more met mine. In response, he growled.  
"Come." He reached for my arm once more, much more gently than before and pulled me with him. His pace was relaxed, yet his muscles were as tense as they could be. For once in my life, I actually did what was best and kept my mouth shut. Jane had calmed her brother down massively for me. I did not want to ruin that. So, I simply followed him back to his room. Once there, he finally let go off my arm. For a few seconds, all we did was stare at each other.  
"How did you manage to escape?" He finally grumbled, his muscles slightly more relaxed than before. That was a good sign. Now, all I had to do was making sure I did not anger him again.  
"Why does it matter?" The narrowing of his eyes told me he was already starting to get angry again. Well done. After only speaking one sentence, I had already managed to forsake my goal of not angering him. Sighing, I looked to the right, deciding to be the more mature one of us. "Look, to a certain extent, I understand why you behave the way you do," because you are a fucking idiot, "But it does not mean I can simply forsake who I am." Alec moved closer and I couldn't help but glance over his body. His pants outlined his muscles near perfectly. Without a doubt, he was muscular and I couldn't help but imagine how he would look without his clothes on. Without the cloak billowing around him. Without the shirt that hid too much, without the neckerchief around his neck. As my heartbeat increased, I swallowed hard, ridding myself of those thoughts. Instead, I looked up at Alec, who was standing a few mere inches away from me, his head slightly cocked. For a second, I thought I had actually made him see some sense, but that hope was destroyed by the words he spoke.  
"It is who you will have to be." His words were cold, yet his voice inviting and smooth. Seductive. He reached out to me and he cradled my face in his hands in an extremely tender way. His cold fingers left tingles wherever he touched me as he stroked my cheeks and went downwards to my neck. My mouth opened out of its own accord as his thumb touched my lower lip. "You will learn." It was as if I was under a spell. His spell. He moved even closer, the hint of a smile on his face, his fingers caressing my neck and face tenderly. His pleasurable scent made me close my eyes, enjoying his presence against my better judgement. My heart was beating rapidly inside my chest to an extent that I thought I was going to die right there and then from a heart attack. All I had to do was move my hand slightly forward, and I would touch him. And I longed to close that gap. The air slightly changed as he moved even closer as if to kiss me. As I leaned in, the rational side of my brain finally managed to break through, screaming at me to stop this. Realizing what was about to happen, I jumped back, stumbling over my own feet. I waved my arms frantically in order to regain my balance and drew a large breath. The skin where he touched me still tingled and felt ironically cold in his absence. I looked up at him through my lashes. He stood with his arms crossed, a smug smirk on his face as he regarded me.  
"You cannot deny being attracted to me."  
"I have been attracted to many men." And possibly some women. "That doesn't mean I acted upon it." Yet I had come very close now. I had wanted him beyond what I was ready to admit. And that scared me. He cocked a perfectly-arched eyebrow, drawing my attention once more to his beauty. It was unfair how tempting he was.  
"Have you ever?" He asked curiously, although there was a dangerous, possessive tone to his voice.  
"Have I ever what?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest, knowing full well what he was referring to.  
"Have you ever acted upon your desires." I smiled.  
"Many times." I exaggerated, my resolution to be kind to him completely thrown out of the window. As expected, his eyes darkened in anger. "As I'm sure you have too." I added, refusing to back down.  
"That is very different." He near-growled.  
"How so?" I cocked my eyebrow, challenging him, "Because I'm a woman?"


	31. Feminism has not yet been invented

"Yes." He spoke. I scoffed in return.  
"Women are equal to men. As capable and intelligent." I told him, but he looked skeptical. "Would you consider your sister to be dumb?" I asked him instead.  
"Of course not."  
"But you consider her to be less intelligent than you."  
"She is a woman." He shrugged his shoulders, as if that said it all. I had always known they treated women badly in earlier centuries. Yet to be subjected to it myself, was something else entirely.  
"The only difference between men and women is genes. Instead of another X chromosome, you have a Y, which is mostly a stunted, useless clump of material." I told him and he looked slightly confused at the strange words I was using, "So if anything, women are far more complex than men. Not the other way around." Alec simply scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. Obviously, he was not going to talk to me about this. His mind was set in stone.  
"You will learn." He repeated himself, causing me to roll my eyes.  
"You claim men are more intelligent, yet that seems to be the only thing you can say." Before he could say anything, I turned around and walked to the bed. I was physically tired, not having slept decently for a very long time, but I was mostly drained mentally.  
"What are you doing." Alec spoke, anger seeping through his voice "I am not done yet."  
"I am." I glanced back at him, before reaching for the laces on the back of my dress. "I'm exhausted. So deal with it." I wasn't sure he even heard the words. If he had, he surely would have at least shown some anger. Instead, he seemed stunned beyond words as the dress fell from my body. He was shell-shocked, as Demetri and Felix had been the first time I had simply taken off my clothes in front of them. Of course, I was not going to strip down to my underwear for Alec - I was smart enough to realize that wouldn't work out well. Not to mention I did not want him to see me like that. At least, that is what I told myself. Soon, however, I realized that was a lie. Having worn the dress all day in the hot Italian climate, the shift underneath was sticking to my skin in various places, making it far less modest than it had previously been. His eyes were transfixed on the shape of my body. The hunger in them send shivers down my spine. I swallowed hard, ridding myself of the treacherous thoughts that were starting to surface: reminding myself once more that he had no respect for me in any form. When men have no respect for you, they are not worth it, no matter how handsome. So, I simply pulled back the covers of the bed, ignoring Alec's eyes burning in my back, and crawled into the very comfortable bed. Closing my eyes, I forced my heartbeat to calm down. Luckily, I did not have to wait long, despite my mind racing with a million thoughts. My body completely relaxed on the feather mattress. My back was grateful for finally not having to sleep on an uncomfortable cot in an ever-moving ship. And so, I quickly drifted to sleep.

Alec POV

When she hugged the covers closer to her body, I finally snapped out of my daze. She was a tempting vixen for sure. The way her body moved was with such precision and grace as I had never seen in a human before. The way her shift had clung to her body, highlighting the curve of her hips and the flatness of her stomach, made me feel like I had never seen a naked woman before. Doubtlessly, she was everything I wanted. Yet, it seemed like she was everything I couldn't have. This had never happened to me before. Normally, women would gladly share my bed as soon as I showed any sign of interest. After ever ball, feast or festival, I would have another conquest, who never lived to see another day. However, I dared to say they died in ecstasy. Far more than most of them could have hoped for. Vampire women had never shunned my bed either: drawn to the power of the Volturi, they would often visit Volterra and the guard in hopes of tasting only a shimmer of that power. Some were stupid enough to think they meant anything to us: they were simple whores to pass the time with.  
Yes, I could confidently say I had never been lacking for willing women. Yet, here was the only one that truly mattered, one I yearned for and wished to claim and she refused me. Constantly I might add. Perhaps God had finally deemed it fit to punish me for my numerous sins by sending her. Perhaps this was Satan's work, toying with me.  
n their own accord, my feet moved towards the bed and I sat down on the covers softly. Her words running through my brain. She should have been disciplined better as a child, of that I was certain. Yet some of her words stuck and I couldn't shake them off.  
How many times had I conversed with Jane and she had made me see a solution I had not yet thought of? How many times had she beaten me in chess? In our previous life, she had always been better than me at stealing, cunningly distracting the villagers while she snuck her little hands into their pockets.  
I finally managed to shake those thoughts off of me as I brushed Evelyn's hair out of her face. The warmth radiating from her body made venom pool into my mouth and I had to restrain myself from leaning closer, waking her and finally taking what was mine. Instead, I focused on her features. There were barely any scars on her face, contrary to most humans I had seen. There were only a few red spots here and there. Her lips were moist, plump and a tantalizing red in colouring. Her mouth was slightly open as she breathed quietly. Once again, I wondered what her lips would taste like against my own. Once again, I envisioned her body flush against mine, her hands around my neck, my own exploring her beautiful curves. Groaning, I stood up, completely frustrated and fed up.


	32. History is just a collection of stories

Evelyn POV

When I woke up, Alec was gone. Luckily. Yawning, I stretched out, feeling my muscles protest slightly against the movement. I snuggled closer into the covers, completely content with the comfortable feeling of the warm blankets around me and the soft mattress underneath. It felt like ages since I had last had such a good night of sleep. I turned on my other side, closing my eyes one more time, not ready yet to get out and face the reality. So, I closed my eyes and recounted a story our grandparents would read to my brother and I before putting us to bed; a story about a lamb and a wolf.

_"Will you read to us grandma?" I asked, as she laid me down on the bed, a smile on her face. Her kind green eyes lit up with enjoyment as she looked down upon me, before beckoning my brother over.  
"Of course, darling." She responded, taking the book from the shelf. It was obviously worn: having been read from many times before. It was a book she had already read from, when she was younger, one she read from to our father and now us.  
"Which story would you like to hear?" She sat down on the covers next to me and helped Oliver on the bed as well. On the first few pages of the book, a picture and the name of every story was shown. I glanced at Oliver, whose fingers were already pointed at the story we always wanted to hear. The Lamb and the Wolf. Grandma smiled.  
"As always." She muttered softly, clearly amused, before going to the right page. "So, there once was a lamb, who moved to far from the herd. It danced around and ate the tasty green grass. Yet it did not notice that a wolf was following it..." And so it continued. I loved the story. The wolf, although much stronger, was outsmarted by the lamb. The mind will beat brute strength. _

My eyes were tearing up slightly as I remembered that perfectly happy moment. A moment when our family was still complete and happy. A few years before dad was sent away. A few years before mum left us. Years before Oliver sacrificed himself in the alley for me. I couldn't help but scold my younger self for thinking that brute strength didn't matter. It was a foolish belief. Was it not brute strength that I lacked in the alley? Was it not brute strength that I lacked here, surrounded by vampires who could surely crush me with their little finger. My eye fell to my shoulder, which was bare from where the shift had moved off. The finger-shaped bruises from where Alec had grabbed me where clearly visible. Swallowing, I rolled over on my back. Some part of me screamed to get out of bed, to break out of the room and do whatever I could to defy Alec, yet another part of me wished to simply stay in bed until I had forgotten about everything. For a couple of minutes, I allowed the tears of grief for my brother and former life stream down my cheeks. Then, I wiped them off and threw back the covers. Part of me still believed in that story. In the story of the lamb beating the wolf. Foolish as that quest might be, I could not forsake the little girl that used to have faith. The girl that worked hard. The girl that fought for her place in this world. And so I walked up to the dressing screen, behind which a dress was hanging. However, that was not what caught my eye. It was the neatly folded pile on a small stool that interested me. Alec's clothing without a doubt. Instead of taking the dress, which was obviously intended for me, I pulled the shift over my head and grabbed the pile. He was max two inches taller than me, so his clothing should fit me just fine. Indeed, the white trousers were a little bit baggy and long, but not to an extent that it was uncomfortable. The sleeves of the black shirt were only a bit too long, falling over my hands when I put my arms down, but that was easily fixed. After rolling up the sleeves, I quickly put on my own shoes (still the same ones Felix had stolen for me) and came out behind the dressing screen. My bag was neatly placed on the chair and I grabbed my history book, wanting to pretend for a while that all of this was indeed a story and that I wasn't caught up in the middle of this. Wanting to forget about all of this for just a short moment.

The door had been locked again, but I had it open within a few seconds. Again, I had neatly placed the knife back in my bag, so that Alec would not have a clue. I wonder how long I can keep this up before he starts taking more drastic measures, such as barricading the door. Smiling slightly at the ridiculousness of that scenario, I turned left and made my way through the halls in search of a quiet place to read.

That place finally presented itself to me in the form of a nook with a window in which I could easily sit. For a second, I admired the beautiful scene: as if it had come straight out of a book. Then, I did what I came to do and sat down, leaning against the wall, before opening my book.


	33. In this world so wrong

I had been reading for around half an hour about the Thirty Years War, which was apparently one of the most devastating conflicts in human history, before a sound caught my attention. Voices. My heartbeat increased and I swallowed hard, my instincts warning me for the dangers that were approaching. I had always been a bit jumpy and being in a castle full of vampires did nothing to ease that paranoia. I quietly closed my book and put it down next to me, instead opting to look out the window, trying to calm myself while hoping that whoever it was, they would not pass me. I kept glancing at the corridor however. Cautious. Scared. Sometimes I wished I did believe in a god. Then, I could pray for a better outcome, feeling a bit less like I'm simply sitting ducks as danger was nearing.  
For a second, I thought the vampires had turned the other way, but before I could as much as breathe a sigh of relief, they flashed in front of me. I could just suppress a shriek, but did push myself further against the glass window in an attempt to put as much distance between them and me as possible. A little voice inside of me told me that it was stupid, as they could cross that distance within a second if they wanted, but my human instincts proved greater than my rational side.  
"Well, well." One of them spoke. He had dirty blonde hair and seemed a bit shorter than I was. I knew that didn't matter though. He would be much stronger, "It seems a human has lost her way around the castle."  
"So it appears." The other affirmed, his voice seeping with amusement. That did nothing to comfort me in any way.  
"How long has it been since a good, _proper_, hunt, Horatio?" The blonde asked, walking towards me at a casual pace. The other - Horatio - smiled an almost cruel smile.  
"I would say it has been too long, dear friend." He licked his lips before glancing over my clothing, "It seems she also stole a man's clothing. A hunt seems a proper punishment, would you not agree?"  
"It seems a bit excessive." I answered, finally having regained part of my wits. I had a feeling that, if I were to play the part of a meek little girl, they were going to eat me. The only chance I had was by being confident, by being something they did not expect. Perhaps the surprise could buy me some time, either to figure out a better plan or to get away. "Besides, I did not steal anything. I was merely reading my book, trying to not get involved with vampires. So, if you'd be so kind as to let me be, I can continue reading in peace." I said more bravely than I was feeling. They were indeed stunned for a couple of seconds, before sharing a look.  
"She smells a bit like Alec, I am unsure..." Horatio spoke, but the blonde seemed unimpressed.  
"He is not here. I only see a buffet and a chance for some entertainment." They looked at me once more and within a second, the blonde had flashed over to me and my heart skipped a beat. He smirked as his fingers traced my jawline. I tried to pull back, but he immediately grabbed my chin in between his fingers, his nails digging into my skin. I twitched as the blood dripped from the wounds onto his fingers.  
"So pretty." He mused, before letting my jaw go and bringing his fingers to his lips. His eyes were a dark, almost blackish red as he licked the blood off. I swallowed back the fear that was rising inside of me, the fear inside of me paralyzing any other movement. My brain was screaming at me to say something, to do something, to try and save myself. Horatio's uncertainty seemed to have gone as soon as he had caught sight of the blood. The blonde's eyes met mine.  
"Shall we play a game?" He said with a smirk, "You run and we'll hunt you down. If we catch you, you die in a horrible way." He stepped towards me again. "We'll savour your blood, drain you slowly." I swallowed hard, realizing I stood no chance.  
"It makes the blood taste so much sweeter." Horatio hummed. My heart was racing by now. Although my body screamed at me to run, I knew I would stand no chance: they were the wolf and I the lamb. But I could be a clever lamb. If I could let them give me a decent head-start, I might be able to get away. I might be able to think of a plan to get away. I might have a small chance of finding Jane, Demetri or Felix - or Alec. I'd even take Alec's help at this point.  
"What fun is there in a hunt if you could catch me within a second." I thus spoke, daring to look up at the blonde with my eyebrow cocked. "Too afraid you will lose if you give me a decent chance?" I challenged next, knowing it would either make them so angry they would kill me on the spot, or they would have such wounded pride that they would cave. The blonde growled lowly and I couldn't help but think it was less impressive than Alec's. Horatio also looked angry.  
"You are a pathetic little woman. Even if we'd give you an hour, you wouldn't make it." Horatio growled.  
"I doubt it. I've seen other vampires, you are nothing in comparison." I added fuel to the fire. "I doubt you could catch me if you gave me a fair chance. Your refusal to do so, only proves my point, does it not?" When the hesitation on their faces was replaced by determination, I knew I had won.  
"We'll give you a fair head-start of a couple of minutes." The blonde spoke, his fingers once more reaching for my jaw, tracing the blood. "And once we catch you, we will not just drain you slowly, we will make sure your blood is laced with pain. We will torture you first. We will rape you. And you will be praying that your mother had strangled you at birth." I swallowed, hoping that I did not just sign myself up for the most horrible death I could ever have.


	34. Ascend before my time

I ran. I ran as fast as I could down the hallway where I came from. Once again cursing my absolute lack of sense of direction, when nothing seemed familiar. If only I could actually remember which hallways led where, this would have been much easier. Never thought my orientation was going to be the death of me... Nevertheless, I simply chose the most familiar hallway, trying to think of a plan in the meantime.

Nothing came to me. Only that I couldn't outrun them. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I was going to die. I was actually going to die. Panic started to rise deep within and my throat constricted, making it harder to breath.

I swallowed my fear and tears back. There was enough time for regrets and crying later, if I get caught. Right now, I had to focus. I nearly stumbled when I quickly took a left turn. There weren't many things I knew about vampires, but I needed to make it harder for them to follow me. They would follow my scent. My scent would give me away as long as I was in the hallways, clearly giving them a clue as to where I was going. I needed a way to get rid of my scent. How though? A scene from Jurassic World all of a sudden came to mind: they could evade the dinosaur by masking their scent with gasoline, something that smelt very strongly.  
I nearly slipped when I took another turn, hitting my head in the process. A sharp pain made itself known and I groaned, blinking away the black dots in my field of vision. I pushed on. Forcing my body to the limits, once again being glad that I had always trained so hard. Although my muscles had definitely become less well-defined in the past weeks, due to my being at a ship, they were still trained well enough to sprint through the hallways, adrenaline fueling them further.  
I knew a couple of minutes would soon pass. The hallways were becoming wider and I glanced at the doors. Before, when I had explored the castle in search of a place to read, I had noticed that the decoration on the doors gave a clue as to what was behind the door. Most of the doors were sparsely decorated, yet when I came across one that was farther apart from the others with a heavily decorated door, I knew the room was much bigger than the others. A bigger room gave a chance for a balcony, which I could use to get outside. So, I barged into the room, closing the door behind me. It was a library, I noticed. For good measure, yet with pain in my heart for all the old, doubtlessly invaluable books on the shelves, I grabbed the closet nearest to the door and dragged it in front of the door. That should hold them off for a couple of seconds at least.  
I panted as I surveyed the room, my muscles protesting the sudden, intensive exercise. I ignored it. There was no balcony I concluded. Yet there was a hearth with a chimney. The smell of burned wood and ash might be enough to cover my scent? I did not have time to contemplate this. It was the best shot I had. Before sprinting to the fireplace, however, I first quickly opened the window in the right corner of the room. If luck was by my side, they might think I escaped through there. Then, I turned to the fire place. Fortunately, there was no fire burning, but I still carefully stepped inside of it, making sure to leave no trace. Next, I extended my arms and tried to find something I could grab onto. Luckily, the stones were rough and I could find a place behind which I could hook my fingers. Pulling myself up, I put my legs against either side of the chimney, so I could grab onto the next stone.  
It went slower than I had hoped, yet I managed to crawl far enough into the chimney that I would not be visible anymore for anyone in the room.  
"There is no hiding from us, darling." My heart dropped, thinking that they had found me, yet the cracking of the door that sounded a second after, made me realize that they had only found the room. Swallowing hard, I contemplated whether I should move further up or stay still. Knowing they would know I was somewhere in this room, as the only exit had been barred and they would probably realize that the window was too small for me to escape through, I decided to risk climbing further up. Hopefully, the other sounds around this room would be enough to cover for the sounds I was making.  
"She is not here." I recognized Horatio's voice.  
"She is simply in hiding." The blonde answered. Next, I hear shuffling through the room, clearly they were starting to look for me. "We will make her suffer for every second she makes us wait while we are looking for her." I calmed my heart, knowing they might be able to hear it and continued my ascent.  
My legs were protesting, my arms were trembling and I had cut myself at multiple places on the sharp rocks, ripping Alec's clothes in the process, yet I continued. I focused on where I put my feet. I focused on where to next put my hands. I did everything to try and ignore the fact that one mistake would be my doom. If I lost my grip, or my muscles caved, I'd be done for. Even if the fall wouldn't kill me, even if I would be able to catch myself before I made it all the way down, I knew it would be loud enough for them to hear. Loud enough for them to know where I was.  
I heard aggravated and frustrated shouting in the room below, but by now I could not distinguish the words anymore. Sweat rolled in beads down my back, drenching the shirt I was wearing. I had never been so glad for my choice of clothing. Had I worn the dress, I would not have been able to do this. I dared to glance down, seeing nothing but darkness. I breathed hard for a couple of seconds, nearing the end of my abilities. Almost there, I cheered myself on, clenching my jaw and pushing on. Right hand. Left foot. Right foot. Left hand. Another piece of rock cut through my wrist, the blood seeping out of the wound and down my arm. I ignored it, concentrating on the slow rhythm I had build. Right hand. Left foot. Right foot. Left hand.


	35. Little by little, we let go of loss

When I started seeing some rays of light, I nearly cried out in relief, but climbed on. Left foot. Right foot. Left hand. Feeling the edge of the chimney, I tightened my fingers around it, taking a deep breath before trying to pull myself up. My muscles burned, my arms trembled. I couldn't pull myself up far enough to climb out, so I tried again, begging my body to do this last thing. After the third try, I finally managed to pull myself far enough up to throw my entire arm over the edge. Using that as leverage, I climbed out all the way onto the roof. Finally, I collapsed onto the roof, leaning my back against the chimney for support. Looking up at the sky, I realized, once more, how close I had come to death and wondered, not for the first time, how much more I could take. I hugged my legs closer to my body and my muscles burned in protest. When it came down to it, it seemed like I truly did want to live. So even when I had nothing to lose, nothing to truly live for, I ran for my life. I fought for my life. Indeed, perhaps I had been wrong all along: I had something. My memories. The person who I am. When I would die, all of that would go away. The memories with Oliver, mum and dad would forever be gone. Not a trace left of them, erased from human history. Everything I could ever be, every possibility would disappear. The sadness the thought brought me, made me realize that I indeed had something to live for. Sighing, I glanced to the right, taking in the landscape of 17th century Italy, the untouched forests, the lack of artificial light. It was a beautiful sight and yet, it only brought me a greater sadness. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I grieved for the life and people I had lost. I knew I would never see any of them again. Not my brother, not my father, not any of my friends...

I didn't know how long I sat there crying, but when the tears finally stopped, I felt much better than before. Mentally, at least. It seemed that I had come to find some peace of mind: to an extent - a small extent- I had come to accept my new reality. I just had to make the best of it, as Oliver would have wanted. He always wanted the best for me. Always supported me, and cheered me up when needed. He used to tell me that life is what we make of it, so that I better make the most of it.

A cold wind broke my train of thought and I shivered. The clothing did very little in keeping me warm. The shirt was still drenched with sweat and almost the entire right sleeve was ripped beyond recognition. The trousers were also too thin too provide much warmth, and very much ripped as well, although not as badly as the shirt. I hugged my legs even closer and moved to the other side of the chimney carefully to try and get as much protection from the wind as possible. It was useless, I was quickly getting colder and colder. Shivering, I contemplated whether it was worth it to try and make my descent from the roof. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I already knew the answer. No. My body was absolutely exhausted already, my muscles feeling as if I could never use them again. Not to mention I was dizzy from having hit my head earlier and my balance had never been great. It was decent enough, but I would not bet my life on it. Sighing softly, I started inspecting the multiple wounds on my body, from where I had been cut by the stones.  
They were mostly small cuts, but there was one on my leg that was a bit deeper from when I slipped and the majority of my upper leg had been dragged across sharp stone. The blood had soaked the -once-white- pants. Alec was going to be pissed. A small smile found its way on my face when I realized the blood wasn't even the worst part.. I was covered in grime and ash from tip to toe and the pants were in a terrible condition even if the blood had not been on there. Another gush of wind quickly made the smile disappear, however, as the cold washed over me. Shivering uncontrollably, I tried to make myself as small as possible, to maintain as much heat as possible. Yesterday, it hadn't taken long before Alec went looking for me. Assuming he will still be pissed when he discovers I had once again escaped - which he will be, there was no doubt in my mind about it - he will soon start looking for me. Part of me hated that I relied on him to come and save me from the roof, but the other part was too exhausted, tired and cold to care.

Alec POV

She was gone again. Of course she was. How could I ever have even entertained the thought she might actually listen to me? Sighing deeply, I turned away from the door and followed her scent. It was a bit stronger than yesterday, so I faced no difficulty in tracking her to a windowsill. There, I found her book, yet not Evelyn herself, which was rather odd. The thing that worried me the most, however, were the other scents that all of a sudden washed over me. Vampires, without a doubt.  
"Demetri!" I called for the tracker loudly, hoping he was close enough to hear me, as I was at a quite remote place of the castle. When he didn't appear in a couple of seconds, I screamed again, more loudly. This time, the tracker appeared after a couple of seconds. One look at my face and the book I had in my hand was enough.  
"She broke..."  
"Where is she, Demetri." I interrupted him, worried for my mate's safety.


	36. Cold as ice

Alec POV

One sniff of the air brought caution to Demetri's face, as he too, recognized the scent of two vampires mingled in with Evelyn's. The next second seemed to last an eternity, as Demetri focused on his gift and tried to find the tenors of Evelyn's mind. If I would still have had a heartbeat, it might have skipped a beat at the anxiety I was feeling.  
"She is alive." He spoke, relieved as well. "She seems to be a bit further to the right of us. Her tenors are quite weak, suggesting she is most likely a few floors up." I still did not completely understand the way Demetri's gift worked. It seemed as if he could sense the tenors of someone's mind and therewith pinpoint where they are, as if on a map, but he could never specify it to a single floor. However, as he came closer, it would pull stronger and he could be more exact.  
"Lead the way." I thus spoke, some of my urgency having disappeared at the confirmation that her heart was at least still beating. Demetri moved through the hallways, while I silently fumed. She had quite possibly almost got herself killed. Why had I been stuck with such a reckless mate? When Demetri all of a sudden stopped, I nearly crashed onto him. He turned around to me and nodded to the roof.  
"She is up there."  
"She is on the roof." I repeated. How did she get up there? Did she think I would not find her if she climbed on top of the building? Demetri confirmed and I sighed deeply, before entering one of the rooms with a balcony from which I could climb onto the roof.  
"Of course she is. Why would she make it easy after all." I muttered and I heard Demetri chuckle quietly. I growled in response, not liking his response to her childish behaviour. A part of me was still worried about her safety, so I did hasten in scaling the wall. Demetri was right behind me. Her scent indeed washed over me as soon as I pulled myself onto the roof. Just before I could start my angry rant, I noticed her small, hunched over form and the words died in my throat. She looked absolutely miserable. I could see multiple cuts and wounds covered over her body and a purplish bruise on the top of her head. The rest of her face was hidden from me, as she leaned over on her knees. Her arms were hugging her legs closely to her chest and she trembled like a leaf in the wind. Concern immediately pushed away all anger I had been feeling before and within a second, I was kneeling in front of her. When I laid a hand on her shoulder, she gasped and shot backwards in fear. She finally looked up. Her eyes were widened in terror, her lips nearly blue and dried blood covering the right side of her face.  
"Al-ec." Her voice broke. Upon instinct I moved closer to her, cradling her face in my hands. Her skin was nearly the same temperature as mine.  
"You are freezing." Immediately, I unclasped my cloak and wrapped it around her small frame. Only now, I noticed how she was wearing my clothes -which were beyond ruined- rather than the dress I had delivered to my room for her. The annoyance of that was overshadowed by my concern, however, and I decided not to comment on it.  
"Your cloak, Demetri." Within a second, he had handed over his cloak as well, which Evelyn took from me. She didn't even protest when I started to examine her wounds, letting my fingers trail over her skin. Part of me wondered if she even noticed.  
"What happened?" I asked her and she looked up, pulling the two cloaks tighter around her, lips still trembling from cold -I assumed- and eyes blood-shot from crying. I swear my dead heart skipped a beat at seeing her so vulnerable and in pain. She swallowed.  
"They... they hunted me." I growled at that response and had to actively restrain myself from setting out to find the vampires who did this to her. She needed me right now, of that I was certain. She had pushed my away each and every time, yet now, she seemed to draw comfort from my presence. As she should, a voice in the back of my head told me.  
"Who." I continued my interrogation, wanting to get to the bottom of this. Whoever had dared lay a finger on her, would soon come to regret ever having laid eyes on her.  
"Horatio and his friend." I growled, recalling the lower guard member who would soon lose his life.  
"How did you get up here?" I asked next while moving even closer to her, wrapping my arm around her back and putting the other underneath her legs, pulling her into my arms.  
"The chimney." She nodded to the structure as I lifted her up. Instead of protesting, as I half-expected her to do, she snuggled closer to me. I couldn't help but smile at her behaviour. I knew that she was merely too exhausted to fight the bond, as she had done before, but that did not stop me from feeling a huge sense of satisfaction at having my mate in my arms.  
"That is impressive." Demetri spoke. Part of me couldn't help but agree. A human escaping two vampires was practically unheard of and her climbing all the way up a chimney... Perhaps I had underestimated her...  
"Find them." I did not have to clarify of whom I spoke. Demetri nodded.  
"Do you want them brought to your room."  
"Yes." Another nod and Demetri was gone. Evelyn shifted in my arms and laid her head down on my shoulder. If I hadn't been so worried about how cold she was, I would have savoured this moment and not moved from my spot for a long time. Now, however, I leaned down and nuzzled her neck, taking in her scent to confirm once more that she was alright, before jumping down the roof.


	37. Judge, jury and executioner

Evelyn POV

When a cold hand was placed on my shoulder, my first thought was that they had found me. That everything had been for nothing. I shot back, trying to get away from my aggressor. Immediately, a painful sting shot through my head. Groaning, I looked up, knowing there was nothing I could do now. When I recognized Alec, I had to restrain myself from throwing myself into his arms. I barely knew him. Actually, I despised how he treated me, yet I couldn't fight the warm feeling of utmost relief at seeing him.  
"Al-ec." My voice trembled from the cold and normally, I would have hated this weakness, but I couldn't care less at the moment. His hands cradled my face in a loving way.  
"You are freezing." I didn't respond, but relief washed over me as he wrapped his cloak around me. Immediately, I hugged it closer to me, grateful for some kind of protection from the cold. Alec said something to Demetri, who also looked down at me in concern and in the next moment, another cloak was handed to me. As I hugged them closer to me, I started feeling a little bit better. They were cold, as Alec and Demetri were freezing as well, but the mere thought of the cloaks was enough to bring me some relief.  
"What happened." I looked up into his eyes. It took me a few seconds before I realized what he was talking about. With my body being so close to hypothermia and my head having received a hard blow, I was not in the right state of mind anymore.  
"They... they hunted me." I muttered, unconsciously moving closer to him.  
"Who." He nearly growled, his eyes darkening with the second. I had to think for a couple of seconds, before the name came to me again.  
"Horatio and his friend."  
"How did you get up here." Alec asked next and I started to get tired of all these questions. I wanted to get inside, preferably near a fire. Anywhere that wasn't the roof was already an improvement. Alec wrapped his arms around me and I was glad he seemingly caught onto my really wanting to get out of here.  
"The chimney." I answered, nodding to the structure. I heard Demetri praising me for that, but I zoned out after that, nestling myself deeper into Alec's arms. I was not able to refrain myself from seeking this comfort. His arms around me made me feel safe, which was something I craved after having felt anything but safe in the past couple of hours. A warm feeling started spreading through my chest as I sighed almost contently at being close to him. Alec nuzzled my neck, tickling me slightly, before he started walking. I simply closed my eyes, seemingly having found it in myself to trust the man who had been nothing but disrespectful to me before.

When I opened them, Alec put me down on the table in his room. Immediately after, he lit a fire in the room. Even from where I was sitting, I could already feel its comforting warmth. Somewhere, he had found a bucket with water and a rag, which he carried over to me. Without a word, he started cleaning my wounds. After a few minutes, I finally started to warm up again, the cloaks and the fire helping immensely. Only then did I realize how close Alec really was. His scent was enveloping me as he stood between my legs, transfixed on one of the numerous wounds. Again, his closeness affected me and I tried to think of something to say, so I could distract myself from my obvious attraction to him.  
"Sorry for ruining your clothes." Alec looked up at that, his eyes meeting mine. I could see the concern for me, yet also the anger at my having escaped again.  
"You should not have worn them in the first place," he sighed, as if extremely tired. He sounded less angry than I expected, which made me like him a bit more. He put the rag in the water again and wrung it out, before moving on to the next wound. "It is not proper clothing for a woman." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.  
"Had I worn the dress, I would have died." I said with such power, that it stopped Alec in his movements for a second.  
"How did you escape?" He asked instead of responding.  
"I tricked them into giving me a head start and climbed up a chimney." I smirked, my energy gradually returning as my body warmed up, "Turns out, my work had perfectly prepared me for escaping burning pyres and hungry vampires." Alec looked at me strangely, before smiling.  
"What kind of work did you do?" I chuckled, imagining how he would respond to the knowledge of my being a stripper. Not very well, I expect.  
"I was a dancer," I answered, keeping it vague enough so he wouldn't know, "But it was only a part-time job. I wanted to become a doctor." I was actually having quite a decent conversation with him and I even smiled at him. A warm feeling spread through my body and I dared to say I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed to have him so close, having a decent conversation. I enjoyed the tenderness with which he took care of me, the way his eyes would sometimes shift to mine, as if to ensure I was still there and fine.  
"As a woman?" Of course he had to ruin it. As soon as I narrowed my eyes at him, he sighed, but did not apologize. "It is impressive." He said, a bit hesitant, but I smiled at him, happy that he was at least trying to be a decent person. Before either of us could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and Demetri entered. Behind him were the two vampires that hunted me down. Their eyes were immediately drawn to me and Alec. Once they recognized me and their eyes glanced at how close I was to Alec, they visibly trembled: fear evident in their eyes. It confused me, until I looked at Alec. He looked about ready to rip their heads of right here and now.  
"Master Alec." The blonde spoke, but Alec merely growled. It put fear into my heart, even when it wasn't directed at me.  
"You dare attack my mate."


	38. An eye for an eye leaves the world blind

Horatio and the blonde, whose name I still did not know, shared a look, before Horatio spoke.  
"We did not know she was your mate, master Alec." He held up his hands in a defensive gesture, "We merely thought that she was a maid, escaping her duty by sitting in a windowsill."  
"Yes," he blonde confirmed, eagerly jumping at the excuse, "We thought it would not hurt to get rid of a useless, lazy maid. Her blood smelt rather tempting..." Wrong move. Alec snarled viciously, sending them back a few steps in fear, before Demetri halted them by grabbing their shoulders and pushing them forward.  
"Of course, had we known that she was in any way bounded to you, we would have brought her back to your chambers, master Alec, where she was obviously meant to be." Horatio took over from his friend, obviously annoyed at his friend for screwing this up. Alec seemed incredibly frustrated, his hand digging into the table next to my leg.  
"You are lying," I spoke before Alec could say anything. His eyes immediately shot to my face. "You said you smelt Alec on me. You knew." Horatio and the blonde shot me a look that was both angry and terrified in equal measures. Alec's hand moved to my leg, caressing it softly, before walking up to them.  
"Not only do you attack my mate, you also dare lie to my face." His voice was demanding and authoritative and I could not blame the others for looking like they were going to pee their pants, if they had actually been able to do that.  
"Master Alec..." Alec's growl broke off whatever Horatio was planning on saying.  
"I will enjoy ripping you to pieces and burning you to ash..." He moved forward, Demetri once again restraining them from moving away. I knew he was serious. He was dead serious. Was this okay? Was it okay to simply kill them? "I'll make sure you feel all of it." He was almost upon them, moving slowly on purpose, perhaps to scare them even further.  
"Alec." I interrupted, apparently having made up my mind about whether it was okay to kill them. Within a second, he turned to me, his anger evident in his pitch black eyes. "Is that not a bit excessive." I dared to say, wrapping the cloaks tighter around me in an attempt to protect myself from his murderous gaze. Even if it wasn't directed at me, it made fear settle in my stomach regardless. Shock crossed Alec's face. From the corner of my eye, I could also see the surprise on the faces of the other two vampires. Only Demetri did not seem too surprised.  
"You would spare them?" He almost growled. I shrugged my shoulders, pretending to be much more confident than I was currently feeling.  
"I'm not saying they shouldn't be punished, just that death is quite... unreasonable?" Alec scoffed, walking closer to me. I had to force myself not to cower underneath his pitch black eyes.  
"They would have killed you." Alec emphasized every word in that sentence.  
"So would you, if I wasn't your mate." I forced myself to say, knowing it was very true. It was their instinct, was it not? Regardless of my own nausea at thinking it, I was their prey. Nothing more, nothing less. It was the way of the world: although I would always feel some sadness when the lion caught the gazelle in nature documentaries, there would also be some kind of acceptance. I suppose this was similar. Only I wasn't the apex predator in this case. Alec simply cocked his eyebrow. I was unsure whether it was at my acknowledging the bond he claimed we had, or my accusing him of being willing to kill me. "I do not mean any offence with it, it is just in your nature."  
"By law, I have the right to kill them for trying to hurt you."  
"I'm fine." He scoffed, his fingers tracing the deeper wound on my leg. His eyes told me he did not believe me. Neither would I, if I was being honest. My body was still trembling and, even though I felt much better, I still felt like an abused barbie doll.  
"That was my own fault, I slipped and my leg got dragged across one of the stones in the chimney." I met his eyes with as much determination as possible. Alec sighed, his anger and frustration very evident on his face.  
"Why do you defend them?"  
"I believe they should be punished, I was just never a big supported of the death penalty," I held his gaze, "The law of an eye for an eye only leaves the world blind," I quoted Gandhi, remembering it from a discussion we had once had in our class. Alec simply looked at me, still very close, his hand moving to brush the hair from my face and trace the wound at my jawline. I know he noticed that they had done that. It was too finger-shaped not to be.  
"Fine." He finally said, and I released a breath that I did not know I was holding. Alec looked over me once more, before turning to Demetri and the two -now very relieved- vampires.  
"You do not deserve this kindness" he moved closer to them, "But do not think escaping death today means you are safe." He grabbed Horatio by his throat, increasing the pressure to an extent that cracks started to appear.  
"Take them to the dungeons." He spoke to Demetri, who simply nodded.  
"Until when."  
"Until I deem it fit to release them." With that, they were dragged off. Alec once again sighed deeply, before visibly calming himself and moving over to me again. His eyes were still a very dark red, but much less menacing than a few seconds ago. He picked up the rag from the table and spread my legs again to stand in between them. He seemed to be in thought as he caressed my left leg mindlessly and continued cleaning the rest of my wounds. I didn't know what to say.


	39. Drowning

"Thank you." I finally spoke, realizing that I indeed owed him quite a lot right now.  
"What for?"  
"For listening." His eyes met mine and he was so close I could distinguish different colours in his irises. "And for getting me off the roof."  
"It would not have been necessary if you hadn't broken out."  
"It would not have been necessary to break out if you hadn't locked me up." I shot back. Alec sighed in annoyance, before visibly calming himself and putting down the rag. His hands went to behind his neck, and he unclasped the necklace he was wearing, before fastening it around my neck. It was heavier than it looked and I felt at it in confusion, before looking up at Alec with question.  
"It will show everyone you are mine." He stated. I felt a twinge of annoyance, but decided that my pride could take this one blow if it meant that I got to live to see another day. Alec leaned even closer, trailing my neck with his nose, seemingly taking in my scent. Before I could truly think this through, I leaned my head backwards to give him better access. That seemed to spur him on as his left hand caressed my leg and the right moved up to my back, pulling me closer to the edge of the table, so our bodies clashed against each other. I gasped at the contact and Alec growled into my neck. The sound nearly set my body on fire and I breathed heavily, not feeling like I got enough air. My hand found Alec's hair on its own accord and I let it glide through his silk-like tresses. The sound that followed took me by surprise. Alec purred. It was oddly comforting and calming as he moved up my neck to my face. I knew this was instinctual behaviour: he was marking me as his, while making sure I was alright. I was more than okay with it, I realized, as Alec's darkened eyes looked into mine. My eyes fell to his lips, his infuriatingly beautiful mouth with such a tantalizing colour. I didn't even notice leaning in, wanting him more than I had ever wanted anything before, until I felt his cold breath on my lips. For a couple of seconds, I held still, my senses in overdrive. I was hyper-aware of my surroundings: of Alec's tempting scent; of the coldness of his hands caressing the skin of my back; of my ragged breaths and my racing heart. Time almost seemed to slow down as Alec moved his hand to my neck. My heart skipped a beat as he started to lean in to close the gap. My body was yearning for this, yet my mind finally seemed to regain control, shouting at me to stop this. And so I did, just before his lips touched mine, I leaned back and stared at the ground. Panting, I tried to make sense of the things I was feeling. Regret, for not going through with it, for not feeling his lips on mine. Shame, for allowing it to come so far, for nearly giving into him. Desire, for he was everything I ever wanted. Longing. I had difficulty admitting to myself that I felt anything but raw desire for him, but that emotion made me realize I craved the comfort he was offering as well.  
I finally looked up at Alec through my lashes. He seemed angry, but sighed, before seemingly shaking it off and informing me he'll get someone to draw a bath for me.  
"Thank you." I managed to bring out. Then he left, leaving me sitting on the table. He didn't lock the door behind him this time, apparently assuming that I was not in any state to escape again. Which was absolutely right. True to his word, he got someone to draw a bath for me. A maid came in not long after he had gone, with a couple of steaming buckets in her hand. She curtsied to me, but mostly kept her eyes on the ground and focused on her task. The silence, however, only made me replay what had just happened -and what had almost happened- in my head.  
Alec nearly kissed me.  
My mind raced with a million thoughts from two very opposing sides. Why did I allow it to get so far? Why did I stop it? What would it have felt like if I had allowed him to kiss me? How would his lips have tasted?  
Fuck. How did I get so deep into this mess? I did. NOT. want him to kiss me. I didn't. Did I? He had been nice before. He had listened. He had even accepted and praised me for wanting to be a doctor. To an extent. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice the maid had finished with the bath.  
"Do you need any help with the bath, milady?" She asked me, her eyes glued to the floor.  
"No, I will be fine," For a second, I stayed silent and she turned to leave, before I realized how hungry I truly was. "Could you bring me some dinner?" I smiled at her. I hadn't eaten anything yet today and my stomach was clenching in hunger.  
"I will bring it right over, my lady." She curtsied before leaving again, closing the door behind her. Finally, I got off the table, pulling the shirt over my head. I groaned as I felt my muscles protest the simple movement: I could barely even lift my arms. Not knowing what to do with the shirt, I simply let it fall to the ground, before kicking off my shoes and stepping out of the trousers. The bath was a bit hot, but I gladly let myself sink into it. I moaned as the warm water heated my skin and my muscles. Immediately, the grime and ash that was covering my body, darkened the water. I grabbed the soap that was placed next to the bathtub, and started soaping my hair, glad to finally be able to wash my hair after three weeks of walking around with greasy, filthy hair.


	40. Never let you go

I only got out of the bad when my skin was wrinkly. I hadn't felt so clean in a long time. The towel had been put on the table and I dried hair before wrapping the huge cloth around my body. It wasn't as fluffy as the towels I was used to, but it was still soft on my torn skin.  
Somewhere, I knew Alec could come into the room at any moment, yet I couldn't care enough to get dressed. Instead, I sat down at the table and grabbed a piece of bread the maid had delivered during my bath. The meal consisted of loads of meat, which looked absolutely delicious, some carrots, bread and cheese. I knew it wasn't the healthiest of meals, but I didn't really care about heart attacks at the moment. As if any of these vampires would allow me to live to an age where I would actually suffer from a heart attack... I shook the dreadful feeling off of me and focused on the food instead.

I don't think I had ever eaten as much as I did then. When I was done, I hadn't even finished half of it, but I was completely stuffed. A cold shiver ran down my spine, reminding me of my lack of clothes. One look outside made me realize it was already pretty late. So, I walked to the corner of the room, behind which the dress was still hanging. I hung the towel over the screen and pulled the white shift over my head. Again, my muscles protested the movements. I was in for a nice day of muscle ache tomorrow, of that I was certain. Regardless, I couldn't help but feel proud of myself. I had outsmarted them: I might be a lamb in their eyes, I had outsmarted them. A soft smile spread across my face, before it turned into a grimace from pain as I took a step towards the bed. It was going to be a hell of a muscle ache...

When I woke up in the morning, I realized I had been absolutely right. I hate being right about these things... As soon as I moved my arms, my muscles protested, a soreness spreading making itself known in muscles I didn't even know I had. Groaning, I tried to push myself up on the bed, yet failed miserably as my arms couldn't even do that. Instead, I rolled over on my back and stared at the canopy.

Alec POV

I had had every intention of killing them. I had imagined ripping off their body parts, one by one and setting them aflame, forcing them to watch their bodies burn. My hands had itched to do it. Until she spoke. When she had uttered my name, I had simply thought she had wanted to request I do it somewhere else or perhaps she had wanted to say something still to the scum that called themselves vampires. Yet she had asked me to spare them. I could not recall having been that surprised in a very long time.  
Humans were nearly as bloodthirsty as vampires. I had been a firsthand witness when the villagers had dragged my sister and I to the stake, after having tortured us for days. I remembered very well how they had called for our deaths. I had seen it many times over on the square in front of the castle. So many executions took place there. During every single one of them, the crowd would roar for blood. They would roar for the blood of a man or woman they did not know. If anyone had harmed them personally, they would have loved to wield the axe themselves to rid their aggressor of their head. Even those who were not in the crowd, those who were more peaceful and tranquil. Even those would want retribution on their aggressors. Philosophers, politicians, noblemen of ancient houses. It did not matter. They all screamed for heads to roll whenever someone had personally harmed them. The scum had nearly killed her. They hunted her. Any sane man, or woman, would have demanded revenge.  
Yet she did not.  
My gaze fell on her sleeping form. She moved slightly, rolling over on her stomach, her arm holding one of the pillows tightly against her and her hair sprawled around her like a halo. Perhaps she was too kind for me. Too good. Perhaps that was what made her reject me. Perhaps it wasn't her stupidity. The -by now familiar- feeling of sadness and anger spread through my body, my undead heart hurting in my chest. She had seemed so willing and I had truly believed she had finally come to her senses about our bond. Part of me, a very small part, had even been glad for her horrifying experience that had shook her out of her stupor. Yet, when she was finally so close that I could nearly taste her lips, and when I finally leaned in, she had pulled away. I had to suppress the rage that I was feeling in that moment, knowing that i would regret hurting her later. Disciplining her I had no issue with: and I would have done it. The thought had crossed my mind. But I immediately rejected it when the image of her sitting on the roof, hunched over her legs, flashed across my mind. She had looked so vulnerable. So miserable. And when she looked up at me through her lashes, I could see the misery still there. Thus, I had shook off my anger and simply left. I hadn't returned until hours after sunset, knowing she would be asleep. I hadn't been able to focus on anything, so I had paid my sister and the new prisoners a visit. The former enjoyed my presence much more than the latter. I got up from the chair, walking over to the bed. She seemed so innocent. So beautiful. And _mine. _She was mine. She will accept it soon enough, I told myself. Or I would have to make her. That seemed much harder now than it had before and for the first time, I questioned whether that was the right way.


	41. I don't want to live for nothing

Evelyn POV

When the maid came in, she brought me breakfast on bed, which I devoured greedily. Apart from that, I did very little. My body was sore in places I did not know I even had muscles and one life-threatening experience per week was more than enough for my taste. So, I simply stayed in bed and grew bored out of my mind. I would have grabbed a book to read, but my bag was on the other side of the room and I was pretty sure my body would refuse that little trip. This left me with very few things to do: napping and daydreaming.  
"My brother was quite certain I would not find you here." The sudden sound nearly made me jump out of my skin -or rather, the bed.  
"Damn it, Jane." I panted, rolling around and sitting up so I could look at the vampire. She simply smirked at my reaction, obviously pleased by how she could make my heart race.  
"I do wonder, why you did not break out this time." Jane walked closer to the bed, letting her fingers slide over the wooden table in the process. The gesture was almost threatening, but I knew she meant me no harm. At least I hoped she didn't... "Have you given in so easily?" Even though her face betrayed no emotion at that sentence, her voice faltered slightly. As if she very much wished for it to be untrue. Perhaps she did. Remembering how she had responded to me before, I realized she might have began to question the patriarchal structures herself. My defiance spurred her own. I smiled at her.  
"When hell freezes over." She cocked her eyebrow at the statement, but smiled back, "I'm merely very sore. I can barely make it to the table to have breakfast, let alone break down a door and go on an adventure." She nodded, glancing quickly to the door, before walking over to the bed and sitting down.  
"Alec has informed me that you had nearly gotten yourself killed." I rolled my eyes at the statement.  
"It was not my fault." I muttered, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Jane smirked.  
"Naturally." She agreed, obviously pleased that I was still opinionated. She hesitated for a couple of seconds, glancing towards her hands in a nervous way. The nervousness did not fit her and it made me worry for what she was about to say. "He was angry with you. Yet, he was also impressed... Only slightly, but impressed nonetheless." I looked up at her statement. I recalled the praise Demetri had given me, but, as far as I can remember, Alec hadn't muttered a single word of praise. To hear that he actually found it impressive, almost gave me a sense of pride.  
"I was not expecting that."  
"I was almost as surprised as you are." Jane spoke, crossing her legs, obviously getting more comfortable, "He also spoke of how you convinced him to send your aggressors to jail, rather than hell."  
"Death is quite final. I still believe they deserve a second chance." I stated, carefully examining Jane's face to identify any emotion she might be feeling. Apart from Demetri and Felix, she was the only one that had been kind to me in this castle and I longed for another girl I could talk to. Demetri and Felix, although they were accepting of my defiance to some extent and they were actually kind to me, they did not see me as an equal. Not yet at least. It bothered me. Jane, however, she and I were the same to an extent. Women trying to gain some respect in a male-dominated world. I valued the budding friendship we had started and I truly hoped my actions would not ruin that.  
"Admirable, I must admit. Mercy can be a commendable attribute, yet can sometimes get you killed."  
"At least I'd die while being true to who I am." I responded without missing a beat. I firmly believed in it. I would not change. There was a hint of a smile on Jane's face again, furthering my belief that she actually took a liking towards me.  
"Alec also told me of something else, that nearly happened." Jane prodded carefully, probably realizing it was a touchy subject. I groaned, knowing exactly what she was referring to. For a couple of seconds, I wondered about whether I should just deflect the question, but then decided against it. Talking to Jane about it might mean that she would talk to her brother about it, but it also might clear some things up for me.  
"You mean we nearly kissed?" Jane looked a bit surprised at my blatant statement, but nodded.  
"He claimed you seemed willing..."  
"For a few seconds, I was. I was more than willing."  
"So he is not just an 'asshole' then?" I laughed at her way of putting it, before shaking my head.  
"He is an asshole. That was the problem." I sighed, "I am attracted to him. I cannot deny that I am, but by acting upon that attraction in any way, shape or form, I give in. I give him what he wants."  
Jane was silent for a couple of seconds.  
"Can you elaborate on why that disturbs you?"  
"I..." Thinking about the answer for a couple of seconds, I finally sighed, "It would signify I submit to his beliefs and ideas... It would signify that I accept how he treats me without any respect for my wishes."  
"Once you realized that, you pulled away from your bond. It is what makes you reject it."  
"What I feel for him is lust, not love. And that is not enough. Not for me." I nodded, before staring down at my hands. That is the reason I didn't see her move. All of a sudden, she leaned towards me and grabbed my hand, gently squeezing it in between her's. She didn't say anything as I looked up at her. She simply smiled and I smiled back. In that moment, I think she finally understood what drove me. In that moment, I think the seed of doubt about her own position finally started to grow.  
"Tell me about your life." She finally spoke after a couple of seconds had passed, retracting her hand.


	42. Unworthy

As soon as I laughed, my muscles protested, so I quickly stopped, shaking my head. I looked up at an expectant Jane.  
"What aspect of my life are you interested in, Jane?" She simply shrugged her shoulders.  
"What aspect would you like to talk to me about? You seem to have come from a whole different world. It interests me." She defended herself, apparently having taken my laughing at her in the wrong way. I smiled comfortingly at her.  
"I wasn't laughing at you, the question was just very unexpected..." I explained, before thinking about what I could tell Jane about the 21st century. "Well, my life mostly consisted of school and work... I wanted to become a doctor, you see? I was applying for universities and, according to my teachers, I actually had a really good shot at getting into the top ones."  
"It seems amazing for women to be able to go to school, pursue their dreams..." She seemed to zone out for a couple of seconds, most likely thinking about her own life.  
"Did you ever get to?" I asked while pulling the covers a bit closer around my shoulders, the chill of the room bringing back unpleasant memories of yesterday. Jane seemed doubtful for a couple of seconds.  
"Not truly. However, Alec and I..." She hesitated once more, "We were the outcasts of our village. Our father was rather strict, but also drunk most of the time. As such, I was not forced to marry. Not that anyone wanted me..." Her eyes were downcast and I could hear the sadness in her voice.  
"I'm sorry. You did not deserve that..." She scoffed, bitterness seeping into her next words.  
"They believed so. They believed we were evil. They believed we deserved to be punished..." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, as she had done to me a couple of minutes ago.  
"Most people are stupid and cruel when left unbound. Picking on the outcasts, those who are not like them, is one of the easiest things to make them feel better about their own pathetic lives" I smiled at her, offering whatever comfort I could for a wound that must have been very deep if it still hurt her after all of these years, "But most of the time, the outcasts are the ones that will make it in life. And here you are, in a position of power. Still walking the earth. Still living and breathing, while they have long collapsed to bone and dust." She smiled faintly, before nodding.  
"I suppose that is true."  
"You get to make something of your life, still, Jane. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to be, you can do it." Her eyes met mine. The sadness was still overwhelming, yet I could see the faintest hint of some sort of happiness there, accompanied by fear. The latter confused me, until she spoke again.  
"What if they do not accept it?" I scoffed, knowing who she was referring to.  
"If they cannot accept you for who you are, they aren't worth it," She chuckled slightly at that, "They aren't worth _you._" I emphasized. Perhaps I did not know her very well yet, but I still felt connected to her. She and I were similar. When Jane pointed out that I, indeed, knew very little about her and therefore couldn't rightfully make a judgment about how worthy they are of her, I smiled.  
"I know you are kind. I know you are as frustrated as I am by the patriarchal structures. I know you are powerful and strong-willed." My smile turned into a smirk, "And you must be amazing if you have lived with Alec for so long without going crazy." With that comment, I lightened the mood once more and Jane actually laughed. Not just a chuckle, like before, but an actual laugh. Her laugh was bell-like and possibly one of the purest sounds I had ever heard.  
"I'll take your word for it." She finally spoke, letting herself fall down on the bed. "You still haven't told me much about your life. What kind of work did you do?" The seemingly innocent question made me smile as I recalled Alec asking a similar question.  
"I told your brother I was a dancer." She cocked her eyebrows at the way I formulated that sentence. "Maybe I'll tell you someday." I winked at her. She smirked at my copying her words from yesterday.  
"Was there anything you liked to do, apart from studying and working?"  
"Hobbies?" I asked, "Of course. Ollie and I would often watch a movie together or have a game night with his and my friends." When she threw me a confused look, I quickly explained what a movie was. "At times, my friends would convince me to go out with them."  
"'Go out'?" She quoted.  
"Yes, as in, going to a bar or club." That did not clear things up for her, "A place to drink and dance. Have fun?"  
She hummed.  
"That seems like a good hunting ground." She had a point. A bunch of intoxicated humans, all together in one location after dark. Seemed like the perfect hunting ground indeed. Especially if the hunter is so impossibly beautiful as a vampire... Damn. I wondered if I had ever come into contact with a vampire before. Had one of them almost made me his meal? Then, I reminded myself that there are most likely not a lot of vampires. Apex predators often needed a lot of hunting ground to sustain themselves. Thus, the chances of my having encountered a vampire at one point, was very small.  
_As were the chances of you being able to turn back time. _I pushed that thought out of my mind. Instead, I decided to change the subject and tell Jane one of my more embarrassing club stories.  
"I once started a bar fight." That sparked her interest as she smirked.  
"So I was correct in my assumption that you were quite a handful?" I begrudgingly nodded, before getting on with the story about a guy who had been bothering me all evening and eventually offered me 100 dollars to have sex with him. When I told Jane I had thrown my drink in his face, she laughed once more.  
"Yesterday, then, was not the first time you threw water at someone."  
"It was effective, though, was it not?" I smiled, recalling Alec's shocked face, "Alec was lucky it was only water. The other guy got red wine. His white shirt was completely ruined."


	43. Seeing eye to eye

"It sounds like an amazing time to be alive." Jane spoke wistfully, after I recounted some stories of my childhood.  
"In comparison, it is probably the best time to live. Yet, I never truly appreciated it." I said, before nibbling on a piece of bread the maid had brought in only a couple of minutes ago. Jane cocked an eyebrow, not having to ask out loud why I did not appreciate it. I finished the bread, during which Jane grew even more impatient.  
"I felt like my life was unfair. In hindsight, it was amazing. Yet, I looked at the people around me that had more. An unbroken family. Money." I had envied those people. Not only envied them, I had hated how they did not appreciate what they had. But I had been no better. I had a brother that loved me. I had a good brain. I had opportunities. Once. At least...  
"It is easy to envy what you do not have." Jane spoke "Your family was broken?" I hesitated for a couple of seconds, contemplating what I should say. The way Jane had spoken of her father before, I doubted my family problems were worth mentioning in comparison. I really hadn't had it that bad: I was not abused. My dad loved me and Ollie, even though he had been incapable of showing that in the past couple of years. Yes, my life had not been perfect: I had to work hard for what I wanted. I struggled to get by. But really, could I call it a broken family?  
"My mother left us after my dad got really ill. He self-medicated with alcohol after not receiving the help he needed... He was often arrested by the police. Oliver and I, we had to work hard to get by." I eventually spoke. "It is probably nothing compared to the problems you faced, growing up." I looked up at her, and saw a flash of hurt cross her eyes. She nodded.  
"There have always been those who are in a worse position than others and this will never change. However, that does not negate your pain, your struggles. It does not make them less real." The wisdom that went with that statement made me realize just how much older Jane was than she looked. I appreciated the statement. It made me feel relieved to an extent: I was not an incredibly entitled person.  
"Thank you." I smiled and Jane returned the smile, before standing up.  
"I will, unfortunately, have to take my leave. My guard duty will commence soon." I nodded, sad to see her leave.  
"Sometime, you will have to tell me the story of how you got such a high position in the guard." She chuckled.  
"It is not much of a story, I'm afraid."  
"I'd like to hear it anyway." I responded stubbornly at which she let out a chuckle, before nodding. The next second, she was gone, leaving me to my own devices again.

Damn it. I should have asked Jane to give me my bag. Feeling stupid for not thinking about that, I let myself fall backwards on the bed again. Boredom it is then...

Luckily, or unlikely, I was not alone for long. After an hour or so, Alec walked in. His eyes immediately met mine. A smug smile made its way onto his face, which made me narrow my eyes at him in annoyance. Without a doubt, Alec interpreted my being here as my being obedient to him. If I had known this would be his response, I would have made the trip to the door a thousand times over, despite the pain.  
"Don't get used to it." I spoke before he could say anything. I couldn't help but feel a certain sense of emptiness as the smile disappeared from his face. Immediately scolding myself for feeling that, I remembered who this was. He had no respect for me. Although, according to Jane, he had been mildly impressed by my escape from Horatio and the blonde yesterday. Perhaps that had sparked some respect too?  
"Perhaps you need to be taught another lesson before you finally realize your place is here." Well, that was an answer to that particular question. I was not even surprised. People do not change overnight. I cocked my eyebrow at him.  
"Where, exactly, would that be. Your bed?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest as I noticed his eyes wandering downwards.  
"Naturally." I rolled my eyes at the response, before contemplating whether or not I wanted to ask Alec to give me my bag. On the one hand, it would provide some much needed distraction. On the other hand, it might fuel his opinion that I needed him. That I could not take care of myself. Feeling the heavy weight of the necklace around my neck, which I had forgotten to take off before going to bed yesterday, I made my decision. My pride had suffered yesterday, when I accepted his token of 'ownership' of me. I would not in any way, shape or form solidify that belief any further. So, I simply huffed and averted my eyes from Alec, who hung up his cloak over the back of one of the chairs. Instead, I looked at the ray of sunshine that fell on the bed. I knew, instinctively, that Alec was moving closer, yet I refused to acknowledge him. The words I had spoken to Jane before 'they do not deserve you' rang in the back of my head. Despite my lust for him, despite my craving the comfort he was offering, I would not give in. I would not defy who I was. Who I always had been. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alec halt next to the bed, before sitting down. Still, I kept my eyes on the ray of sunshine. It was the only ray that had managed to get into the chamber, the rest being blocked by the heavy curtains in front of the balcony. Earlier today, I had wished to get onto that balcony and view the Italian landscape in a more comfortable manner than I had yesterday. However, my muscles protested at the mere thought of getting up, so that idea had been quickly discarded. Alec sighed heavily.  
"You cannot simply ignore me." He spoke. His soothing voice, laced with a hint of annoyance, was like a magnet, pulling me in. Yet, I stayed strong and ignored it, keeping my eye on the ray. If he thought of me childish, I'll show him childish...


	44. Stubbornness

Alec POV  
She huffed. "Like you cannot simply ignore my wishes?" Her eyes met mine and I was taken aback by the fire that I saw within. Such determination I had only seen a handful of times in my life. Suddenly, her escaping a pyre and two vampires seemed less impossible than before. For a couple of seconds, I remained quiet, during which she once again averted her eyes to the ray of sunshine on the bed. It was a mystery to me why she found it so interesting, but another part of me told me she just used it as a distraction. She was attracted to me, after all. Of that I was certain. Being this close to me must affect her, as it did me. So, by focusing on something more trivial, she managed to ignore the bond we shared. The damned vixen.  
"Evelyn," I sighed heavily, knowing she would not give in easily. I had only known her for two days, yet I already knew she was stubborn as a mule. Stubbornness was a quality I could admire in small quantities. Evelyn, however, possessed more than a healthy dose. "Has it not occurred to you, that this is your new reality?" I saw her muscles tense at my words, which made me frown. Surely, after yesterday, she must realize that this is not the world she came from? She stayed quiet. I rolled my eyes at her antics. How could someone that looked so innocent and good when asleep, be so annoying when awake?  
"You are behaving like a spoiled child." I chastised her, at which she scoffed. At least that got a response out of her. She glanced towards me again, her eyes betraying the annoyance and exasperation she felt.  
"How is it that you claim to be my 'mate'," She spoke the word with such distaste it made me frown, "Yet you are the only one that refuses to treat me like an actual person?" I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could she interrupted me already: "Aro managed to have a decent conversation with me. Felix finds me amusing. Hell! Even Demetri took a liking towards me..." She threw her hands in the air, as if to emphasize her point. Meanwhile, her face was obviously heating up from the anger, giving her cheeks a warm red colouring. It made me very aware of the appealing scent of her blood, distracting me long enough to allow her to continue, without giving me a chance to speak, "Your sister is one of the nicest persons I have come across here. How are you such an asshole?" She snapped.

Evelyn POV  
His eyes darkened. I could see the confusion on his face at what I had called him. Even though he did not know exactly what 'asshole' meant, I think he had a pretty good idea. The anger was rolling off of him in waves. The annoyance at my behaviour towards him. I refused to back off, however. I was at least as angry as he was. Before I could even second-guess that decision or the words I had just spoken, Alec had grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him, so his face was only an inch removed from my own. His cold breath hit my face.  
"Wha-t." I managed to bring out, temporarily confused by the sudden change in position.  
"This is the last time I will tolerate your misbehaviour." He hissed. His eyes were a dangerous blackish red. His grip tightened around my arms for a fraction of a second. Nonetheless, a sharp pain shot through my right arm, my muscles heavily protesting the abuse. The anger in his words, combined with the pain I was feeling, made adrenaline course through my veins. The fear momentarily paralyzed me. Finally, after a few seconds of being completely unresponsive, I finally managed to regain control over my body and trashed against his grip. He simply let go off me and I fell backwards.  
"Fuck off." I spoke, refusing to let him have the satisfaction of silencing me, but also unable to say anything else. Alec narrowed his eyes at me, but before he could do anything, a knock on the door sounded through the room. With one final glance towards me, he stood up and flashed over to the door. As his back was turned towards me, I rubbed the painful spot on my arm. I wondered how long I could handle all of this abuse, before my body gave up on me. Quite a lot, I can imagine. My mind would cave before that, I think. That prospect sparked a sadness as well as determination inside of me. He would not get the better of me. I looked up when someone called my name, to see Demetri standing there. Alec had apparently left.  
"How are you feeling?" He smiled sadly as he noticed my rubbing my arm. Immediately, I ceased the movement.  
"I've had worse." I responded lightheartedly, not in the mood for another serious conversation. Demetri nodded, before realizing I was not wearing any normal clothes.  
"I do apologize for barging in unannounced, but I believed you would have no issue with me seeing you like this." I chuckled, remembering his shell-shocked expression at seeing me in my bra a couple of weeks ago.  
"You have seen it all already, right? Besides, I would argue this shift is quite decent clothing." Demetri chuckled as well, remembering the similar conversation we had had only a month or so ago.  
"So why did you come?"  
"Considering 'even I took a liking to you', I believed it my duty to help in calming Alec." I flushed at hearing that he had heard that particular conversation, quickly recounting what exactly I had said. Nothing too embarrassing or insulting, luckily. Next time, I decided on speaking of people who weren't there, I had to remember to take vampire hearing into account.  
"Don't take it the wrong way." I said as a way of apologizing, before thanking him for intervening.  
"Do not worry yourself, Evelyn. I'm not offended," he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "And you are most welcome. Alec is known to sometimes make rash decisions when antagonized. In such a moment, he might forget your frailty as a human."  
"I appreciate it, but I'm not so frail." I said begrudgingly. Demetri simply smirked.  
"I would never say you are. A human that can escape death so many times, deserves my respect." He winked and I smiled back, appreciating the praise.


	45. Completely lost

For some reason, there were a lot of issues with this chapter! Thank you to those pointing it out. Hopefully it works this time. Enjoy!

* * *

Evelyn POV

"So how did you get rid off Alec?" I asked Demetri, who had taken a seat on one of the chairs as he picked up my history book, that had been lying on the table. He inspected the, for him, foreign object. Of course, they had books in this time as well, yet none where covered in plastic. Demetri smiled.  
"Quite simple, Evelyn, I merely requested he should find his sister as she wished to talk to him." He looked up from the book and smirked as his eyes met mine. "I wonder what they might discuss."  
I rolled my eyes at him, knowing he was fishing for answers, yet refusing to give them. However nice and kind Demetri might have turned out to be -which was quite a shock when compared with his initial attitude towards me- he still thought of me as inferior. As such, discussing my conversation with Jane would only suffice to humor him at most.  
"Why don't you ask Jane?" He chuckled as if I had said something incredibly strange, before putting the book down on the table, apparently done with it.  
"Jane..." He began, before apparently rethinking his words, "May sometimes not be described as the most pleasant of people to talk with." I cocked my eyebrow at him, thinking back at when I first saw her. She had emitted a certain cold attitude, an attitude of do not cross me. Her eyes had been guarded, yet I had seen the defiance and the brokenness of her soul inside. She had been through a lot and she still had to fight every day for her position. That I knew. Yet she had been successful, right? Her cloak was a near black, almost as black as Alec's, indicating a high rank within the guard. Impressive. I hadn't given it much thought until known. Sure, I had figured out that she must have a powerful gift to grant her a high rank within the guard, if Demetri's and Felix' rank were anything to go by, yet she had to have something more to combat the sexism. I felt like I was missing something. Something that was underlying everything. The coldness in her eyes. The brokenness. Demetri's apparent reluctance to talk to her, which went beyond a mere dislike. He tensed when he spoke of her, finding the mere idea of talking to her ridiculous. She had acted differently around me though. She seemed more vulnerable, particularly when she had thought I had given up on my defiance. With me, she let her guard down. Today, at least. Normally, I realized, she was pretending to be something she was not. Cold and calculating. Uncaring. Something that is against all traditional 'feminine' things.

It all clicked. By pretending to be unfeminine, she maintained a high position in the guard. However, pretending to be something she was not, had obviously taken a toll on her over the years. Particularly when it came to addressing the grief that had followed from the mistreatment of the villagers. Even though she didn't tell me what exactly had happened, I had seen the sadness in her eyes. It must have been serious. She never properly addressed those emotions, because being emotional was something that was often considered as feminine...

I felt incredibly bad when I figured it out. My heart went out for her. To not be able to cope with something that obviously left a big impact on her...  
"Evelyn?" Demetri caught my attention again by throwing a towel into my direction. Apparently, I had been ignoring his earlier attempts to shake me from my thoughts. I narrowed my eyes at him, ignoring the little voice in the back of my mind that prompted me to remain quiet, considering that Demetri had just saved me from Alec.  
"What makes you say that?" I asked him, making my voice sound like Mrs Johnson's would, whenever she talked to a client that went too far: cold as ice and authoritative, yet deadly calm. It always used to send shivers down my spine and judging by the look on Demetri's face, he was mildly surprised and apprehensive as well. Perhaps it wasn't as impressive as I had hoped, yet I still held my ground, crossing my arms over my chest. The soreness immediately shot through my arms, but I ignored it. Demetri chuckled, although it was less carefree than before. The sound and his moves were more calculated.  
"Jane is not as rash nor as easily provoked as her brother, yet remains as dangerous, if not more so."  
"How come?" I refused to return the smile that Demetri flashed me, intend on defending my newly found friend.  
"In Alec's mind, I am a friend. Perhaps he even considers me close to a brother. Jane, however, cares much less about me or anyone else around here," I cocked my eyebrow when he seemed to deem that enough information. It only fueled my previous conclusion more. She refused to let people see the soft side of her. "As such, the risk of being subjected to her gift is much greater. An experience I cannot recommend." Demetri flashed me a look that told me he would not reveal any other information. Deciding it would not help Jane in any way if I were to reveal her secret to Demetri -assuming I was correct, of course-, I let it drop, instead changing the subject to something a bit less controversial and heavy.


	46. Nostalgia

Because the last chapter had some issues, I decided to already treat you to a new one. Enjoy

* * *

Evelyn POV

The past week and a half had been... weird. After another day of mainly staying inside the room, my muscles had recovered well enough for me to go out again, which led me to the conclusion that the door had been locked. Alec must have come back sometime during the night and left before I woke. I hadn't thought much of it then: I simply broke open the lock within a minute, praising myself for having become an excellent lock picker this quickly. When I went out - in a dress this time, as Alec's clothing was nowhere in sight- I had simply wandered the castle until I came upon the gardens, where I had spent most of my day, until Demetri retrieved me for dinner. He had been slightly annoyed at having to find me each and every day, but I had simply teased him, which had earned me a chuckle. That was the first time it really struck me as odd that Alec hadn't been there, yet I had paid the thought no mind. The next day, however, there was still no sign of Alec. Breakfast was waiting for me on the table though, as it had been the day before. When I checked the door, it was locked again. For a week and a half, this pattern went on. I would wake up to breakfast, break open the door and wander the corridors, sometimes coming across Demetri or Felix, whom I would talk with, sometimes simply enjoying the gardens, which had become my favorite place to be, and one time I came across the library, where I tried to find a book that wasn't in Latin. Unsuccessfully, I might add. I also hadn't been able to find the library the next day again, due to my absolute lack of navigation skills.  
Still, there had been no sign of Alec. Part of me was relieved, yet I had to admit that part of me was also worried. I knew he was there at night. After all, the door was locked every single day. Also, I knew he was still in the castle. One day, I tried to find Jane, but Demetri had informed me that she had gone on a mission with two guard members I had never heard of. When I asked about Alec, he had told me that he was here and that he was surprised that he hadn't shown himself to me at all.

The thought of Alec observing me silently was creeping me out slightly -not to mention the fact that he was probably watching me as I slept. When that thought had crossed my mind, I was first mortified of the embarrassing things I might have done and do while asleep, before chastising myself for caring about that. For a week and a half, I had been worried and pondering Alec's sudden decision to ghost me completely. I was annoyed at caring about this in the first place and letting him consume my thoughts. Angry at myself that I even missed his presence slightly. Now, I made a deal with myself to not let him consume my thoughts for the rest of the day, as he had been the previous days. As soon as I set foot outside this room, I would banish him from my mind. Easier said than done, I mused, as I pulled his trousers over my legs. If he decides to ghost me, he should. It was his loss. Was it not? I sighed deeply, before picking up a piece of bread and munching on it. I had admitted that I missed his presence. Slightly. Actually, I missed the kind Alec that I had had an actual conversation with. Not the one that continuously reminded me that I was his. Which, apparently, meant that I had to obey his every whim and command. Picking up a piece of fruit, I made my way to the door, already having the knife in my hand to break it open. Really, I wondered why he still bothered with locking it...

Forcing Alec out of my mind, I stepped out of the room into the corridors, setting out to go to the gardens again. Luckily, this was a path that I had memorized from my numerous visits, so I found it easily. Normally, I opted to go to the flower gardens, or towards the pond. Today, however, I decided to take a left turn, setting out to explore a whole different side of the gardens. The terrain around the castle was massive and I could only imagine how far the Volturi lands would stretch into the forests that were bordering the gardens. It would take a year, at the very least, to discover everything.

Before long, I was hit by the smell of horses. It brought a nostalgic smile on my face. I had enjoyed riding horses until I was around 14, when I was forced to quit as we moved to the city, away from the riding school. So many hours I had spent there. Not just riding, but also brushing the horses, cleaning out the stables. I had been there for almost every weekend, and most days after school as well. Every Saturday, all volunteers would be treated to some french fries, which we ate on the bays of hay at the back of the school. Unconsciously, I had moved into the direction of the scent and as I turned right, around the trees, I got a look at -what I assumed were stables. Not being able to resist the temptation of reliving my childhood memories, I walked into the building. The whinnying of horses was immediately clear, making me smile like a fool. One of the horses, a beautiful black one with a white marking on her forehead, stuck out her head from the door. Immediately, I approached her. Making sure I did not frighten her, I held out my hand as an offer of friendship. After a couple of seconds, she sniffed my hand. Seemingly having accepted me, she softly whinnied and I moved closer to pet her neck.


	47. Enlightening conversations

"What is the meaning of this!" The sudden voice nearly made me jump. The horse immediately pulled her head back. "These are the stables of the lords Volturi." I turned towards the angry-looking man. He was rather short, probably a couple of inches shorter than I was, with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Definitely human then. His face was red from anger and I noticed how he puffed himself up in order to look taller. It almost made me roll my eyes. Part of me realized I should not be so relaxed, but after so many life-threatening experiences and being around vampires as long as I had, the human did not scare me too much. "You'll lose your ha..." The angry-looking man fell silent all of a sudden, his eyes glued to the necklace - Alec's necklace- that I still wore around my neck. Anger was immediately replaced by confusion. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he stuttered something incomprehensibly. Instead of letting myself be bothered by his rude interruption and -unfinished- threat of bodily harm, I smiled at him.  
"Would you be so kind as to point me to the brushes, I'd like to make myself useful."  
"Uhm...Mi... Milady, do not worry yourself with something as lowly as a peasant's task. If you wish to take her for a ride, I ensure you, I'll have her ready in the blink of an eye."  
"It is not a burden really, I enjoy spending time with horses." Sending him another smile, realizing he was not falling for this, I decided to be a bit meaner, if it meant getting what I wanted, "You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you? Surely, you know better than to ignore a direct order?" Now that the anger had disappeared completely, I realized he couldn't be older than 15 really. More a boy than a man. Fear settled in his eyes, making me feel a bit bad about threatening him. Still, I stood my ground, cocking my eyebrow for good measure. After a minute or so, the boy finally seemed to regain his senses and rushed into the other direction. After another minute, he came back, stuttering something that resembled an apology.  
"Don't worry about it, I didn't mean to scare you." Even though I kind of did. "What is her name?" I pointed towards the black horse.  
"I call her Dora, milady."  
"That's a beautiful name." Apparently, he saw that as a dismissal, as he quickly gave me the brushes and sped off again, before muttering something about being at the back if I needed anything else.  
"Well, Dora," I looked at the black horse, before moving to open the door, "It is just you and me then." I smiled as I picked up the first brush. Before long, I lost myself in brushing Dora, sometimes humming a tune, sometimes talking to the horse next to me.  
That was the reason why I didn't notice I had company, until a voice all of a sudden interrupted my thoughts.  
"You escaped again." I nearly let the brush fall out of shock, before peeking around Dora to look at Alec, confirming that it was indeed him. He was leaning over the door of the stable casually.  
"Hi to you too." I muttered, trying to contain my excitement at seeing him again. For god's sake, I shouldn't be this affected by him. He. Did. Not. Respect. Me. If that wasn't enough reason to try to stay as far from him as possible, I didn't know what was. "I honestly don't understand why you keep on locking the door." I said, shaking my head, as I decided to not let him get to me. Just when I decided to not spend my day thinking about him, he appears out of thin air. Speak of the devil and he shall appear... Whoever thought of that clearly knew nothing. Not speaking or thinking of him apparently does the trick.  
"Perhaps a part of me hopes you will come to your senses." I cocked my eyebrow at him, slightly annoyed. Alec returned my gaze, before looking down. "You are wearing my clothes."  
"And looking quite good in them, wouldn't you agree?" I made a point of doing a little twirl, noticing how Alec's eyes lingered on my body. A warm feeling spread through me, but I pushed it down the best I could. Instead, I focused on my annoyance at him.  
"Is there a reason why you disappeared for a week and a half to suddenly grace me with your presence today," I petted Dora in order to calm myself down, preventing my thoughts from going places they shouldn't.  
"You question me as if you have been missing me. So, have you, Evelyn?" I could almost see his satisfied smirk, yet refused to look his way to confirm. Instead, I let my hand glide through Dora's mane, who nudged my elbow in response. After a few seconds of silence, during which I refused to answer his question, Alec finally sighed.  
"I spoke with Jane last week." He admitted, "I do wonder how you managed to turn my own sister against me." Annoyance immediately turned to anger. How dare he... I shot him a sharp look, opening my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but he held up his hands in surrender, a pleading look in his eyes. The gesture surprised me enough for him to continue talking.  
"I mean no offence, Evelyn. Jane spoke of some things that I had to reflect on."  
"Must have been one hell of a conversation if it took a week and a half to get through your thick skull." I muttered under my breath, but the look Alec send me made me realize he had heard anyway.  
"I wonder, why is it you reject my love?" The question made me choke on nothing. Immediately, my throat objected to the abuse and I started coughing. After coughing for a couple of seconds, I finally managed to breath normally again, looking up at Alec through my lashes.


	48. You are going to lose her

"If you have to ask, it shows you know nothing of love." I remarked, before sighing as Alec shot me a look that spoke volumes. He wanted an actual answer. Putting the brush down, I walked up to the door to stand right in front of him. Crossing my arms, I looked into his beautifully framed eyes.  
"Love is based on mutual admiration and respect." I sighed, looking at my feet, before looking up again. The next statement was harder for me to speak out than I'd liked to admit "You feel neither for me." Before I could turn away again, to resume brushing Dora, Alec grabbed my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing it. Goosebumps immediately appeared on my arm, betraying how much my body was truly affected by him. My heartbeat seemed to increase as I froze on the spot, wondering about what I had to do.  
"I assure you, that is not true." He said with such sincerity that I nearly believed him.  
"You deny me my rights, based on my gender." I scoffed, trying to pull my hand back, but Alec refused to let go, tightening his grip slightly, "You threatened to 'discipline' me for not behaving the exact way you wanted." I rambled on, slightly annoyed at Alec's insistence to keep a hold of my hand.  
"I did not act upon it."  
"You want a doll," I said, ignoring him completely, as I found his notion that it somehow, magically made it better that he didn't act upon it ridiculous. Not abusing each other is merely having some manners, or a heart really. "You want someone that is exactly the way you shape them to be. Who talks the way you want. Who sits the way you want. Who does nothing but wait for you in your chambers. That is not me."  
Alec looked me in the eye with such intensity, that it made me quiet down.  
"Sometimes, we do not know what we want, until we come across it." Alec sighed, "Jane might have been on the harsher side in our conversation last week, but she made me realize something very important." He shifted, a tiny bit uncomfortable it seemed. His discomfort was the only reason why I bit my tongue to refrain from saying something along the lines of 'that you are an inconsiderate, sexist pig'.  
"Jane made me realize that I'm going to lose you. And I decided I cannot let that happen." The words took me by surprise as I went over the different meanings of the sentence. Could it be that he might try to treat me with respect? Could it be he would try to see me as an equal? Surely there was a more sinister meaning to the words...  
"She... you... made me realize that I might have been wrong." He stroked my hand with his thumb, "Perhaps there is something wrong with the way our world is shaped. The way power is distributed. And perhaps, I was wrong in demanding you to be something you are not, instead of seeing the beauty of your stubbornness."  
"That's a lot of perhaps and ifs, it seems." I muttered, not knowing how to respond to his confession. Some part of me was ecstatic that he seemed to change his mind. The other, however, refused to believe that this change would have happened so quickly, and questioned the motives behind his sudden change of heart.  
"Give me a chance, Evelyn. Merely this, I ask of you." His thumb started drawing circles on my hand again, distracting me slightly. I don't know how long we stood there for, Alec looking at me with pleading eyes, his ethereal beauty beckoning me to give in, while I tried to think of all the reasons why this wasn't a good idea. My more rational side was screaming at me that people do not change this quickly, but every fiber in my body was drawn to him. Eventually, I looked up into his eyes and knew I couldn't refuse. If only it was to confirm to myself that he hadn't changed enough, I needed to see what would happen.  
"Fine." I thus spoke, which brought an actual smile to Alec's face, making his eyes sparkle with joy. I hated myself for the way my breath caught in my throat. Finally, he let my hand glide out of his, and, not knowing what else to do, I resumed brushing Dora's mane, intend on braiding it. For a couple of minutes, an almost awkward silence hung between us.  
"You seem well-versed in this task." Alec eventually spoke and I could feel his eyes on me, but refused to look.  
"When I was younger, I used to ride horses." I smiled, the happy memories allowing for a warm feeling to spread through my chest, "I loved it. I spent hours taking care of them as well."  
"Your servants did not perform that task instead?" I chuckled, slightly amused by how little he knew about the world I came from.  
"I didn't have any. Besides, even if I had had them, at the riding school, it was customary to do the work yourself. It teaches responsibility and builds trust with the horses." Again, it was quiet for a couple of seconds, but the silence was much more comfortable this time.  
"Can I ride her?" I finally broke the silence again. I only asked the question to get a saddle, something Alec must have realized as well, as he chuckled.  
"As if my objection would make a difference." He said, before nodding and calling over the stable boy. He was the epitome of subservience as soon as he recognized Alec. He looked only at the ground, threw in more 'milords' than I could count and was consistently bowing his head and back, making him look even smaller than he was. A stark contrast with his original behaviour towards me, when he had done everything to look more impressive. Alec barely noticed as he commanded him to get a saddle and bridle.  
"Do you even notice how scared he is of you?" I asked in astonishment as Alec turned back to me again.  
"As he should be."  
"Those who lead with fear do not lead for long." Alec chuckled at the quote.  
"The Volturi have reigned for centuries, Evelyn. Humans and vampires alike fear the power we possess. Rightfully so." Although I realized that Alec probably knew more about this than I possibly could, there was still a part of me that was doubtful. No kingdom, empire or nation had thought they would fall. Yet all did. Collapsed into chaos and anarchy. When I told Alec as much, he simply looked me over, before smiling comfortingly.  
"There is no need to worry yourself over this. The Volturi truly knows no equal."  
Perhaps not right now. No one was unbeatable, however.


	49. Gut instincts

Walking back, we once again fell into silence. I felt the need to say something, but could not think of anything. Alec did not seem to mind the quiet as we moved through the small hallways. After a couple of minutes, I simply gave up and started paying more attention to where we were going.

All of a sudden, Alec stopped and cocked his head. Before I could ask what he was doing, he turned around, his back now facing me. As I was standing behind him, I couldn't see what he was looking at. Again, just as I was about to move or say something, Alec beat me to it and bend forward slightly. Only then did I catch a glimpse of blond hair that was bound back tightly.  
"It is good to see you again, sister. I trust you had a pleasant journey." Alec confirmed my suspicion and I couldn't help the smile that crept its way onto my face. He kissed her cheek and Jane greeted her brother in return before turning to me. She smiled before flashing over and grabbing my hand.  
"Will you join me, Evelyn?"  
"Sister, must you borrow her so quickly."  
"I'm not an object, so I cannot really be borrowed, now can I." I narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my arms over my chest. Some type of emotion flashed in his eyes, but as soon as it surfaced, it was gone again, leaving me to wonder whether it had been there in the first place. A little voice in the back of my mind screamed at me that this was a sign of him not changing at all. I ignored it, however, as Alec nodded and Jane took my elbow to guide me through the hallways.  
"Where have you been?" I asked, taking in her outfit. It was quite formal wear -but then again, everything I had seen so far, safe the peasants' clothes, would classify as formal- yet seemed comfortable to move in. Her cloak, a near-black dark grey billowed behind her as we walked.  
"France, there was some disturbance concerning immortal children." She spoke, her voice as light as if she was discussing the weather. To me, it sounded much more serious than that.  
"Immortal children?" The term sounded innocent enough, yet I knew that first impressions can often be deceiving. As with Alec for example. He had immediately caught my eye, made my heart skip a beat and my lungs nearly forget to breath. Yet, he turned out to not be so impressive. Although that might change now. Before I could think on it more, Jane brought me back to the conversation.  
"Yes, children that were turned to early. More beautiful than you could imagine. Vampires often create them as a desperate means to get a child now that their body is frozen and they are no longer able to have one." Her nose scrunched up in disgust. "It is pathetic really." As I imagined what it would be like to have a child, to have a baby and then to have that opportunity snatched away from you for all eternity by a twist of faith, I wasn't sure whether I agreed with Jane. Surely, if wanting a child was all you had ever dreamed of, can one truly be blamed for undertaking actions to ensure it true? Regardless of what it cost? The words Jane spoke next made me realize the selfishness of the action, as well as the danger.  
"Although blessed with immaculate beauty and invoking a strong sense of protection in everyone that lays eyes on them, their immortality comes at a costly price. They are unaware of consequences, in combination with a loss of control, temper tantrums and unquenchable thirst, they destroy entire villages. Ghost towns are left in their wake."  
"The vampires that create them, they cannot control them?" Jane shook her head.  
"Nothing can. Nothing but death." A shiver ran down my spine as I imagined the slaughter that Jane described. Truly, no parent in their right mind would do that to a child, put it through such pain and confusion. After all, it sounded as if they were merely confused by their heightened senses, their strength. Can one really blame a toddler or child from trying to ease the burning in their throat? All they would want, was to get rid of their thirst. Demetri told me nothing smelled as sweet as blood. An uncontrollable child and a whole village full of people sounded like a terrible thing.  
"So..." I thought about the best way to ask it, then wondered whether I wanted to know at all, before realizing I needed to., "You had them executed?"  
"Technically, Santiago gave the order." I raked my brain for a face to put to the name, but came short. Jane, noticing my struggle, smiled and provided a description "Tall, unusually dark-skinned for a vampire. Dark brown hair." It sounded familiar, but something seemed odd.  
"Is Santiago not of a ... lower rank than you?"  
"Technically, I suppose. My gift outranks his." I still really wanted to know exactly what her gift was. Demetri's cautious words had only sparked my curiosity further.  
"Technically?" I probed further.  
"Hmm, during missions, I am not given command."  
"Does that not seem a bit weird?"  
"Weird?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
"Odd." She seemed to think about it for a couple of seconds, during which she opened a door to the left. When entering the room, I immediately figured out that this must be her bedroom. It was rather similar to Alec's, although the bed was much less ornate and big. Before my thoughts could wander to places they shouldn't, such as why Alec thought himself in need of a giant bed if he doesn't sleep, I turned to Jane again, demanding an answer with my eyes.  
"I have never really thought about it, honestly. It has always been this way." She provided. I had a suspicion why it happened though.  
"And this never happens with any other... _male_... guards?"

* * *

Sorry for not updating for a couple of weeks. I was on holiday! Hope you enjoy :)


	50. Change

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, getting fed up by the whole attitude of people in this century. Jane finally seemed to catch on.

"No, it does not. Perhaps, however, I am simply unfit..."  
"Demetri told me you were much less likely to act rashly than Alec. Everything I've seen so far suggests this as well. In what way are you less capable than him? If anything, you sound like a much better fit for a leadership position." Jane smiled kindly, thanking me silently for the support.  
"Well, perhaps..."  
"We both know why they do not allow you to lead." I cut her off, daring her to contradict me. Instead, she sighed, before sitting down on the bed.  
"Change is hard to bring about, Evelyn."  
"Even harder when no one stands up and fights." Although she tried to look stern, she couldn't help but smile. She tried to hide it by looking at the ground for a couple of seconds, but I spotted it. It was all the confirmation I needed. Jane felt as trapped as I did by the patriarchal structures of this society.  
"Perhaps one day, it will be different." She spoke as a way to end the conversation and I knew better than to push. Although Jane and I seemed to be on the same page when it came to women's rights, I knew my reality was much different than her's. All her life, she must have been pushed into subservient positions. Pushing too far and too hard against it now might not work. Moreover, I didn't even know the extent to which she agreed with me. Did she believe in total equality or was she simply unhappy with the magnitude of the difference between her position and the male guards? Not wanting to lose my friendship with Jane over my pushing her too far out of her comfort zone, I nodded and took a seat next to her on the bed. A lump formed in my throat as the familiar scenario brought me back to my own time, when I would sit in a similar position with Emily. Jane must have noticed my tension as she placed a hand on mine.  
"There is something that bothers you, is there not?" She spoke. "Have I offended you?" I quickly shook my head, although her admission made me smile a little bit. Apparently, Jane was as afraid of pushing me too hard as I was of pushing her.  
"This," I gestured to us and the room, "Reminds me slightly of my friend... back home." My voice wavered slightly at the end.  
"Grieving for a life you only just left behind... forcefully left behind... can take time." Jane tried to comfort me. What Jane did not know, however, was that my previous life had rarely crossed my mind in the last week. Mostly, I had been consumed by thoughts of Alec and his sudden disappearance. I felt a twinge of guilt. Had I truly forgotten them so quickly? Did that mean I did not care for them enough? Before the guilt could eat me up, I tried pushing it away, focusing on Jane instead.  
"So, why did you bring me here?" Jane smiled.  
"It pleases me to have you in my company." The smirk on her face told me of an ulterior motive of trying to get under her brother's skin.  
"The first time my brother brought a girl home, I was so jealous." I spoke before thinking about it. "I refused to leave them alone for a second and I would wrench myself in between them whenever I could. Even forced them to watch my favourite movie." I smiled a sad smile as I remembered his annoyance. He had been so angry when the girl finally left, thinking I had screwed up everything. In fact, the girl had called him the next day for another date. Apparently, she had found my behaviour towards my older brother cute rather than annoying, although their second date would not be anywhere in my vicinity. They never had a third date, which I always claimed was because I hadn't been there to 'cuten' him up.  
"I presume he did not enjoy that." I laughed.  
"No, he did not. He complained about me the entire day to our parents. They did tell me to leave my brother alone, but after a while, they got sick of his complaining."  
"Is it... common to 'bring a girl home' in your time?" Jane asked, lying down on her stomach, head resting on her hands.  
"It is common to date before getting into a relationship. I did it a couple of times as well."  
"You brought a girl home?"  
"No," I laughed a bit at her confused expression. One day, I will argue with her about homosexual rights and the LHBT community. Today was not that day, however. "Boys."  
"Plural." She repeated, her eyes widening slightly.  
"Never at the same time." I laughed, sitting back slightly as I folded my legs underneath me.  
"Your parents, they allowed this? Did it not ruin you for marriage?"  
"Marriage isn't that important where I'm from. The majority still does it, but almost never before having known each other for years and having been in a relationship for a longer time." Of course, there were exceptions to that rule, but I was not in the mood of explaining all the intricate details. "They would be boyfriend and girlfriend for a while, most often, before one of them proposes to get married. Boyfriend and girlfriend means you are in a romantic relationship, so it basically asks for some form of exclusivity and commitment, yet it is still more flexible than being married." I explained quickly when Jane shot me another confused look.  
"So, you have had a... boyfriend?" The hesitance with which she spoke the foreign word made me smirk again, which earned me an annoyed scowl from Jane. She did not appreciate my finding her pronunciation of modern words amusing.  
"Two. I was still officially in a relationship," Although I wasn't sure whether William didn't technically break up with me when he send me away from his house, "When I got transported back into the past." Before I could dwell on William's and my unfortunate last conversation, I pushed the conversation forward. "I have dated more than that though." Jane seemed to think on that for a couple of seconds. She gnawed on her bottom lip for a few seconds, making it extremely obvious there was a question she desperately wanted to ask, yet was afraid to.  
"Just ask me." I encouraged her. "I'm not easily offended." At least not by you, I added quietly.  
"Have you ever... been bedded by any of them?" The last part of her sentence came out as a mere whisper and I had to strain my ears to even hear it.


	51. Every step I take is another mistake

I closed my eyes. I had known this would be the question she'd ask. Deep down, I had known. Yet, I had still hoped for a different one. After all, I knew she was going to judge me for it: she was born in the 9th century, for god's sake. There was no doubt in my mind about it. However, I had always been a terrible liar, so that was also not an option. So, I took a couple of seconds in which I prepared myself to lose my friendship with Jane.  
"Yes." I finally spoke, opening my eyes to look at the look of disgust that would surely settle on her face. Indeed, a flash of it crossed her eyes. Accompanied by it, however, was a curiosity I had not expected. Again, Jane bit her lip, obviously doubtful of what she should say to my confession. Meanwhile, I simply remained quiet, folding my hands in my lap. I had misjudged how she would respond, and now, I did not know what to do. I had been prepared to defend my actions, to rush out of the door, as I had done after William had found out about my job. Yet, now that Jane remained silent, I simply let it sink in, refusing to look shameful about my actions. I had felt no shame for it before. I was not going to start now.

That did not stop my heart from speeding up, however. I swallowed hard, trying to release myself from my tension. Still, it did little to calm me. I was scared. Scared of losing Jane, scared of losing a friendship upon which I had begun to rely more than I actually realized.  
It felt like hours past before Jane finally shifted and looked at me with a doubtful look in her eyes. I met her gaze head on. Although the look in her eyes made me feel a tad bit uncomfortable, I refused to look away.  
"Why?" Was the only word she spoke. There was no emotion to her voice, nor her facial expression. Nothing to give away her thoughts on the matter. After another glance, I realized I was not going to get any clue on her thoughts, so I simply sighed. Might as well rip the band-aid off quickly. Was it not supposed to be less painful that way?  
"It's meant to be quite enjoyable," I said as casually as I could, trying not to go into detail. When Jane simply quirked her eyebrow, it became very clear she wanted more details than that. "The first time I was not really in my right mind, to be completely honest. It was my 16th birthday and my dad had just been arrested during the party." I sighed, lowering my eyes to my hands. Even now, thinking about it made me feel sad. "So, I just thought to myself, 'fuck consequences' and went out to a club. I got drunk." Normally, I was not a fan of drinking alcohol, considering my dad's history with it. To say it disgusted me would be taking it a step too far, but it came close. Not that I had (officially) even been allowed to drink... but my friends had their ways of getting it. That day, it had also been easy, way too easy, to get my hands on the stuff.  
"It does not make you seem like less of a whore, does it?" Jane spoke as she noticed I had stopped talking. I narrowed my eyes at her, silently warning her not to push too far. She simply cocked one eyebrow.  
"I was sentient enough to realize what I was doing as I caught a boy's attention. He gave me the comfort I needed that night. And it was great. I did not regret it." I looked up at her again, locking our gaze, "And I never have." It was quiet for a couple of tense seconds again. My heartbeat echoed in my ear and it took everything in me not to break our eye contact as she stared at me. Unconsciously, my fingers gripped onto the sheets underneath me. Eventually, Jane scrunched up her eyebrows.  
"'It was great', you claim." I waited until she finished her sentence, but she didn't, apparently too uncomfortable with the subject to do so.  
"I do not know what people have told you about it," I started carefully, "but it is enjoyable for both sexes." I spoke softly, keeping an eye on her face to search for any trace of anger or disgust, "And there is nothing wrong with desiring something, or someone for that matter."  
"Yet you claim it is wrong to desire my brother." My face flushed at that statement. Jane, on the other hand, stayed cool as a cucumber. I narrowed my eyes at her.  
"And I told you why I feel that way." I spoke coldly, lacing my words with as much ice as I could. She met my gaze. For a minute or so, it was deadly quiet. Not for the first time during this conversation did I wonder if I should bolt for the door. Despite some part of me screaming at me to do just that, I continued sitting there. Although I would like to claim it was because I knew deep down that Jane would not hurt me, I knew better than that: it was fear that kept me rooted to that spot. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the corner of Jane's mouth twitched upward slightly. I released the breath I hadn't noticed holding.  
"Indeed you have." She spoke, her voice no longer cold and distant, but much more careless once more. She glanced me over once more, "After that one time?" She then gently inquired.  
"With one other guy," Dan, that fucking asshole, "He was much less great." I scrunched up my nose in disgust, which made Jane chuckle slightly.  
"Do you mind..." She then spoke, "Talking about it?"  
"Honestly, this is kind of the stuff I used to talk to Emily about." When I saw a flash of disappointment cross her face, I quickly added, "Not in a bad way. I've missed this. This careless gossiping. Talking about boys. I just meant that I do not mind." I smiled at her and she returned the smile, finally removing all doubt in my mind that she harboured any hard feelings towards me.  
"Tell me more." She smiled, sitting up straight.


	52. There is always a choice

And that was the start of a lengthy conversation about drugs, dating and boys. After what must have been a couple of hours, my stomach started rumbling. Immediately, Jane shot me a questioning look. I smiled sheepishly back.  
"Shall I have the cook make you some dinner?" For a couple of seconds, I doubted between having someone cook for me and simply heading down to the kitchen to make it myself. Although I hadn't quite gotten used to the subservient position of the servants here and I did enjoy cooking, the thought of simply sitting back and having the food delivered to me, was extremely appealing.  
"That would be great." I smiled at her and she nodded and stood up.  
"Then I shall." Despite her words, Jane stood still for a bit longer, head cocked slightly to the side, before a smile appeared on her face. I quirked my eyebrow in question, but she simply ignored me as she walked out of the room.

When she returned, she gestured for me to stand up and follow her. Again, my question of why went unanswered. Sighing deeply, I decided to cooperate, considering her ability to easily carry me to wherever she planned on going. Luckily, I did not have to wait long: soon we entered a massive hall. Inside, some vampires had already gathered. Demetri and Felix I immediately recognized. The guy next to them was Santiago, if I was not mistaken. Then there were two other vampires, one man and one woman. They eyed me up hungrily and made to move until Jane growled in a threatening manner. It paused them in their movements long enough for Demetri and Felix to grab their arms and pull them back.  
"I was under the impression we would have dinner, may I inquire as to why you keep us from quenching our thirst?" One of them spoke in a cold manner, his eyes never leaving mine. I simply rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Of course, their behaviour towards me was... unsettling... and my heart rate still increased at the threat, yet I had gotten used to the murderous stares with a surprising ease. Perhaps the fact three high-ranking guards (Santiago maybe as well?) would not allow anything to happen to me, helped as well. The movement of my arms had apparently caught their attention, as the eyes of the woman shifted to the necklace around my neck. Similarly to the boy earlier today, her eyes immediately widened as she recognized it.  
"She... is one of us?" She questioned uncertainly, her eyes once more raking my body as if to make sure she wasn't mistaken in my being a human.  
"She will be." Another, very familiar, voice sounded. It calmed my heart slightly and I turned around to see Alec standing in the doorway. I could not distinguish the colour of his eyes from where I was standing, but I easily caught onto the dangerous vibes that he emitted. "If you'd value your life, I'd advise you not to let any harm befall her." I scoffed slightly, refusing to fully agree with the narrative that I was a damsel in distress in need of saving. Alec simply shot me a look that told me to stay quiet.  
"She is human." The man protested, his eyes still locked on me. Immediately, I felt Alec's presence directly beside me, followed by his hand on my back. Part of me wished to shy from the movement, angry at him for laying a claim on me. The other part, the part that was more concerned with my own survival, simply let it slide. Luckily, for once, my need for self-preservation seemed enough to keep my mouth shut.  
"She will be one of us." Alec spoke each word with such force that it made a shiver run down my spine. For a few seconds, it was quiet. During that time, the meaning of the words truly sunk in and I turned to Alec sharply. He refused to meet my eyes, but did move his hand on my back slightly upwards, putting enough force into his touch to make me aware he was not going to let me move out of his grip.  
"It seems, master Alec, there is a slight disagreement there." The man spoke boldly. The growl that came from Alec's throat was enough to send him back a few steps.  
"There is no place for a human here." The man spoke once more, before he and the woman left. As soon as they had left, I tore myself from his grip. Alec let me.  
"You were not going to give me any choice in the matter were you." I narrowed my eyes at him. Alec sighed deeply.  
"No." He answered honestly, "There is no choice, Evelyn. You belong to me." Right at that moment, the doors opened once more and someone walked in. Without even looking that way, I knew it was one of the humans: they made too much noise for them to be a vampire. Indeed, when I glanced that way, I realised it was one of the servants who was bringing my food. She set it down on the table, bowed, and then left as quickly as she came. The smell of freshly cooked food made me realize once more how hungry I was.  
"I do not." I spoke to Alec, before turning around and sitting down at the table. I knew there was nothing I could say that would change Alec's mind, so I simply decided to ignore him the best I could. I heard him sigh. "So are you guys just going to watch me eat?" I asked the rest of the vampires, as they sat down as well.  
"Do you not value our company, Evelyn?" Demetri asked with one of his signature smirks. I smiled back, indeed happy to see them. Alec, however, did not wish to leave the topic alone.  
"Even if you did not, master Aro would wish for you to be turned." He spoke, taking a seat next to me. That did catch my attention. Although I had just decided to ignore him, it turned out my curiosity was going to ruin that within a minute already.  
"Why?" I refused to look at him as I tore a piece of the bread.


	53. Building blocks

"It is your gift." I could feel his eyes on my skin, but refused to turn to look. Instead, I munched on the bread, considering his words.  
"My gift?" I finally questioned, as I subconsciously turned towards Alec a bit more. Immediately when realizing I was doing exactly what I was planning on not doing, I forced myself to look at the food in front of me. Still, however, I could feel myself being drawn to him, like a piece of metal to a magnet. If Alec noticed, he didn't say anything as he answered.  
"Is it common to be able to turn back time where you are from, Evelyn?" Alec questioned almost teasingly. The tone of his voice made me look at him just in time to catch the spark in his eye before it disappeared.  
"Well..." I began, pretending to think about it. The shocked look on Felix' face was definitely worth it.  
"Really?" He whispered in complete astonishment. I laughed, which was the cue for the others to laugh at him as well. I had known Felix was quick to fool from our sea journey together, but I had honestly not expected anyone to fall for this. After all, if it had been normal to turn back time, why had I been so shocked when I landed in the 17th century?  
"No. But there are people that claim it would be possible at one point." Mostly crazy people though, I mused while munching on a bit of cheese. However, now that I had somehow, magically managed it, would technology also manage it? Should we even want to? Felix looked to the side a bit embarrassed as the laughter finally stopped.  
"Anyway, you say that this is my 'gift'." I stated "Like Demetri can track people?"  
"Yes," Alec confirmed.  
"Hmm." I put another piece of cheese in my mouth as I thought about this new information. Now that I heard it, I found it weird I had not put it together sooner. "And this is the reason why Aro would not allow me to remain human?"  
"For someone to show any sign of a gift as a human is extremely rare. For you to express something this powerful, it is extraordinary." Jane spoke this time.  
"Only Alec and Jane have shown such promise, to the extent of my knowledge." Demetri added. "Even then, their gifts had not yet developed enough for us to know what they would be able to do. Only with their transformation was their gift shaped."  
"What can you do then?" I asked Jane first, simply because I knew Alec wanted me to pay more attention to him. I could feel it. I could feel his eyes on my skin. Jane smirked. I don't know why. Was it because she realized how I blatantly ignored her brother? Was it at the mention of her gift?  
"The illusion of pain." She spoke after a couple of seconds, "The feeling of being burned alive." A shiver ran down my spine as I unconsciously moved my feet, the skin of it still scarred.  
"Damn." She smiled at my response.  
"Alec's is the exact opposite." She then said, with a small smirk to Alec. At the mention of Alec, I couldn't help but turn slightly towards him. His eyes, as expected, were already on me as he held out his hand. Black vapors all of a sudden started to appear and I froze as it approached. Like a deer caught in headlights, I could not move as the seemingly harmless mist twirled and moved closer. Finally it touched my skin and I gasped as a cold sensation overcame me, only to be replaced by a terrifying numbness a second later. It was enough to shake me from my shock as I flinched backwards, trying to get away. The mist followed, but finally retreated back into nothingness in Alec's hands.  
"What..." I managed to exclaim as a smug smile appeared on Alec's face.  
"Sense deprivation." He answered my unspoken question. "Any sense I so desire, taste, touch, sight... I can rob as many people as I want for as long as I want to."  
"That is scary." The smirk on his face widened. I tried to imagine what it would be like to not be able to see, hear or sense anything. Could it not make someone go mad? To be deprived of their senses for a prolonged period of time. Shrugging the dreadful feeling off of me, I turned back to the rest of the vampires.  
"So is it like a random thing?"  
"A random thing?" Demetri questioned.  
"Yes, as in, does everyone have an equal chance of a gift? And the gift, what determines what kind of gift it would be?" Demetri and Felix smiled at my questions, obviously a bit used to my curiosity from our journey. I hadn't realized I had actually come to miss the time on the ship - to a very small extent that is. I did not miss being on the ship -that was as horrid as I had expected it to be. I missed spending time with them and not having to worry about so many things. About Alec mainly.  
"Gifts are very rare, it seems to be 'random' as you call it, but might be more common with families." Demetri pointed to Alec and Jane.  
"Genetics then. That makes sense."  
"Genetics?" Jane and Demetri spoke at exactly the same time. I smiled, feeling some kind of satisfaction at once again knowing something they did not.  
"A gene is like a building block, but for people. It is passed from parents to children."  
"Alec and I are both gifted and twins, so there might be some truth to that."  
"You are fraternal twins, so it matters less." There was a small frown on Jane's face at the unfamiliar word, but I paid it no mind, "Identical twins, however, would be very interesting. Unless you would argue that a certain in utero condition triggered the gifts within you. In that case, it might explain you and Alec having a gift..."  
"Evelyn." Alec interrupted me with the hint of a smile on his face. The look in his eye, however, was unfamiliar. Before I could figure the emotion out, Demetri caught my attention again.  
"Could you elaborate on what you have said?"


	54. Confidence is silent

"Well, you," I nodded to Jane, "and Alec are no different from each other than any other brother and sister, save for that you shared a uterus. That is all. Identical twins are made from the same material, the same cells. So, if it is true that a gift is determined by genes, then identical twins should both have gifts. If the character of their gift, the kind of gift they get, is also determined by genes, they should get the exact same one. If it is determined more by their environment, you will get a different gift for each identical twin." Seeing their still doubtful expressions, I scooted closer to the table and grabbed a few pieces of cheese and bread. In the back of my head, I could hear my dad's voice telling me not to play with my food, but I never really paid it any mind. So, I was not going to start now.  
"Look," I tore the piece of bread into two and placed them om my plate. "Let's pretend the bread and the cheese are genes." I laid a cheese cube next to each piece of bread and arranged them in a two by two table. I could see the hint of a smile on Demetri's face, but it was too late to start questioning how childish I must look right now. So, I tried my best to ignore him and cleared my throat, before focusing on teaching them the basics of genetics.  
"In procreation, the mother and the father both give one allele, which is part of a gene. So either the bread or the cheese." I made some probably weird gestures as I started feeling a tiny bit insecure about the whole scenario, especially since no one spoke a word, "Because of that, there are four possible combinations for the offspring." Quickly, I added some more bread and cheese so in each imagined 'cell' there lay either two pieces of bread, a piece of bread and a cheese cube, or two cheese cubes.  
"So, when a child is born, they have one of these combinations, having a fifty percent chance of having a building plan with a cheese and a bread, twenty five percent chance of heaving two breads and twenty five percent chance of having two cheese cubes." Slowly, my insecurity went away slightly, as the situation reminded me of countless times of tutoring my fellow students. So many late night study sessions with Emily and William. I smiled faintly.  
"So, let's say the cheese is an allele for blue eyes and the bread for brown eyes." I pointed to the 'cell' with two pieces of bread, "That child would have brown eyes then." In the back of my mind, I had to stop myself from putting more nuance into the story. There might be a time and place for talking about master genes (although some would argue there was not), but now was definitely not it.  
"So the other two get a combination of blue and brown?" Jane cocked her perfectly shaped eyebrow.  
"No, they get brown eyes," I answered, happy that at least I still got Jane's attention, "Brown is dominant. So in the case of a piece of bread and cheese, the bread overpowers the cheese." I took a bite of the left-over bread I still had in my hand, remaining quiet as to gauge their response to my rambling. I felt incredibly unsure and insecure about what I just said. After all, they were not used to biology, they were not used to women being educated. And here I was, educating them as if they were children. Immediately after, I tried to push the insecurity away. Had Alec not told me he was going to try and accept me? Actions spoke louder than words however... Besides, people do not change that easily. Before I could argue on with myself about it, Felix finally broke the silence.  
"What you say, is that 'identical twins' have the exact same combination of... bread and cheese." I smiled slightly at the hesitance in his sentence, "But Jane and Alec do not, as they are not identical twins."  
"Yes." My smile widened as I realized they had actually understood what I had said. At times, I was prone to just ramble on without knowing I had long lost my audience. The fact that at least Jane and Felix had listened made a sort of pride and satisfaction swell up inside of me.  
"Interesting." Demetri now confirmed he had also been paying attention. Santiago, however, seemed as though he had long stopped listening, but it bothered me very little. Annoyingly, what I mostly cared about was Alec's opinion, but he remained deadly quiet. It wasn't that I was craving his acceptance or approval, but I realized I kind of was. Despite my rational side screaming at me to not give in this easily, to not jump into the deep, cold water without testing the waters first, my heart wanted him. I swallowed away the lump that was forming in my throat and ate a bit more of the carrots.  
"Where have you learned this, Evelyn?" Demetri asked, sounding slightly impressed. Even though it did not come from the person I wanted to hear praise from, it still made me feel good. I could still see a bit of hesitance in his eyes, a bit of apprehension. Possibly on account of a woman schooling him on something like that, using food for god's sake. Again, my insecurity returned.  
"School mostly," I looked down at the plate in front of me, "I was studying to try and get into med school. To study to become a doctor." Before anyone could say anything else, the door opened again and servants came in. Apparently, dinner had taken quite long already.  
"With your permission, milords, miladies." The woman at the front curtsied.  
"Have you finished, Evelyn?" Alec spoke without emotion and I nodded, feeling quite stuffed. Besides, I did not have an appetite anymore with the growing insecurity inside of me. It almost seemed I was really becoming bipolar with how fast my confidence was turning to insecurity and back...


	55. To be perfect is to change often

I was a terrible person, was I not? I mused as I leaned back, the bricks of the wall digging uncomfortably in my back. The red wine left a burning feeling in my throat, but it was a welcome change from the numbness I was feeling inside. There was nothing I could do or say to myself that would excuse my behaviour. I shut my eyes closed, trying to rid myself of the thoughts that were raging in my mind, but it was pointless. I had known this would happen. I had known I would give myself hell this evening, once I was alone to my thoughts. I had known they would come back to haunt me when all other distractions were gone. I had known from the moment Jane and I talked about my life. Opening my eyes again, I looked up at the star-lid sky, before bringing the goblet to my lips and taking a large gulp of the red liquid.  
"This world will never be, what I expected. And if I don't belong, who would have guessed it..." I hadn't even noticed I started to hum the music to one of the songs I used to listen to. Immediately, I shut up, afraid that a vampire might hear me and come to check up. The lyrics of the song were quite fitting: I did not belong here. I would never belong here. Yet, I had so easily gotten used to this, had I not? Had I not so easily forgotten about my friends, my family. About Oliver. In the past few weeks, they had rarely crossed my mind. For all the love I thought I had for them, for all the love they had for me, what kind of terrible person could I be, to simply forget about them so quickly? Perhaps I did not belong here, but perhaps I deserved this faith. Perhaps I deserved to have died on that stake. I clenched my eyes shut again, uselessly trying to rid myself of these treacherous thoughts. Death was not a solution. It never is. I took the pitcher of wine I had snatched from Alec's table and refilled my cup again, immediately taking a large gulp. Slowly, I started to feel more relaxed and calm, my thoughts becoming fuzzy.  
"You have helped yourself to the wine I see?" Alec's voice surprised me, but the alcohol had made me slow to respond. After a couple of seconds I turned my head to the right, to see he had also joined me on the balcony.  
"You know, I never did like alcohol that much." I looked at the heavily ornamented cup in my hand. A goblet probably worth more than everything I had ever owned combined. "My dad used to self-medicate with it. I saw what it did to him and I refused to be like that." I smiled sadly as Alec crossed his arms. "Guess I wasn't so different after all." I took another gulp as if to prove my point and moved to refill the goblet. Part of me expected Alec to stop me, but he remained still, quietly observing me. It was my cue to continue my rambling, the wine having washed away my previous insecurities about what Alec thought of me.  
"Sometimes I wonder what happened to me there," Looking down at the glass, I twirled the liquid around, entranced by the way it moved in the goblet. Taken by its deep colour, like blood. "Did I just disappear? Another girl gone missing. Another run-away teen, they would probably claim." Alec finally moved closer to sit down next to me. Still, however, he spoke no word. He did not even question who I meant by 'they'. "If that's the case, at least William would feel so goddamn guilty." From the corner of my eye, I saw Alec's mouth twitch slightly at my swearing, but that might just be the wine making me see things. "Serves him right." He should not have been so mean to me. For god's sake, he had become physical. He had tried to actively hurt me. If I'd gone missing, at least William would feel guilty about it. He would know I wasn't the type to run away. I never had been: he knew I would not forsake the chances I had at becoming something better, being admitted to university, starting a life. He'd known something bad would have happened. My hateful side hoped it was the case, just so guilt would eat him up for the rest of his life. The other side, however, was less petty and felt bad for even thinking about it. But then again, I'd already accepted that I was a terrible person. This was just more proof, was it not?  
"William?" Alec finally broke his silence.  
"Hmm," I tried to keep myself from saying it, but I knew the wine would win this battle over my tongue, "My boyfriend. We were in a relationship, you see. Courting. Lovers." Alec scrunched up his nose slightly.  
"Why would he feel any form of guilt over your disappearance? Was he involved?" The last statement had some sort of hope laced in it that made me giggle.  
"We got into a huge fight the night I turned back time." I looked towards the village below, maybe a hundred meters removed from the castle. The darkness gave it an almost scary glow. Only a few lights were burning behind the small windows. It was flickering though: they were candles, not the, bright unwavering lights I was used to. It only added to the creepy atmosphere. However, from up here, it almost seemed surreal. Like a horror-movie. That was a nice thought. Horror movies weren't real.  
"Evelyn." Alec's touch shook me from my stupor. "What was the subject?"  
"What?" I raked my brain for what he meant, wanting to please him for some reason. I soon lost focus, however, losing my grip on my own thoughts as I looked at Alec. His dark hair blended in so nicely with the night, his eyes a dark burgundy. There was something sinister about those eyes, yet they were so alluring as well. Unconsciously, I shifted closer to this angel of darkness. His lips moved, drawing my attention to his beautifully colored mouth. "Evelyn." My name had never sounded so beautiful. "What had your quarrel been about." Just like that, I snapped out of my trance. For good measure, I shook my head, feeling dizziness course through my veins at the sudden movement.


	56. Alcohol speaks the truth

"My quarrel?"  
"Your 'fight' with William?"  
"Ah." I remembered now. We had been talking about that. "I'm not going to tell you. You'd respond even worse than he did." Alec cocked his eyebrow. Obviously, his curiosity was piqued. Before I could lose myself in his essence again, I turned away and took another sip of wine. Perhaps not the brightest idea, but my rational side took very little part in my decision making process anymore.  
"What has led you to such belief?"  
"I know. You're a lot more conservative than he was. And this" I gestured from him to me, while cursing myself already for speaking the words before I'd even spoken them, "Finally starts to feel a little bit right. Not going to ruin it now." Again, it was quiet for a little while again.  
"Do you miss him?" Alec finally spoke. That question was enough to stop me from taking another sip of the wine. The question hit too close to the thoughts that drove me to reach for the wine in the first place. I sighed.  
"To an extent," I missed what he represented: a life where it was easy. A life where I had a family I had forgotten so easily about. A life where Oliver was still alive. I looked at Alec just in time to catch a flash of what seemed like hurt cross his face, but it was gone so quickly that it left me thinking I had imagined it. "But the fact that I'm not so bothered by it, is the exact reason why I am currently trying to get drunk." Alec raised his eyebrow, indicating I had to continue.  
"I'm a terrible person." I finally spoke after a couple of seconds.  
"You are the farthest thing from it." Alec responded without missing a beat. His certainty made me smile sadly.  
"I am. I rarely think about them. The past week, all I've been thinking about really, was you." Again I cursed myself for ever learning how to speak. The alcohol had loosened my tongue too much, but it was too late to turn back. So, did the only reasonable thing: I took another gulp of the wine.

Alec POV

To say I was surprised to hear those words would be a lie. I was absolutely flabbergasted. For at least a couple of seconds, there was nothing I could think about but those words. Of course, I had expected her to have at least thought of me, the conversation we had had in the stables had hinted at it. However, to hear her say that I had been the only thing on her mind... it send a surge of happiness through my body. After I got over the shock, I looked at my mate. Only then did I realize again what else she had just said.  
"There is nothing wrong with continuing to live your life." I tried, but she only snorted, before looking at me with skeptical look. It was a little bit unfocused, which made me realize she had had more than enough wine. When I reached for the goblet, she took another sip, emptying the goblet. Only after that did I manage to take it from her.  
"Oliver got stabbed because of me. I tried to save him... I truly did." She didn't look at me, but even then, I could see the tears in her eyes. All the happiness I had previously felt was long gone as I tried to think of something to say or do that would make her feel better without offending her.  
"I couldn't...he died there, in my arms and here I am, four weeks later, simply moving on." Her sentences became a bit more incoherent and I wondered how much of the alcohol she had actually consumed. "I killed a man." I looked up at that admission, locking eyes with her. I expected to find some sort of emotion in her eyes, but found nothing. Still, I tried to comfort her, as it surely must make her feel bad.  
"It does not make you an evil person, Evelyn. You have the kindest heart of anyone I ever met. If you killed him, I am beyond certain he deserved it. There is no need to feel guilty." She scoffed again, before smiling and looking down at her hands.  
"That's the thing. I stabbed him and felt nothing. Even now, when I think back on it, I feel no remorse." Somehow, I found it hard to imagine her hurting anything, let alone killing someone. On second thought, she had been stronger than any other woman I had ever met. Much more opinionated as well. Apart from Jane, any conversation I would have with women were mostly surrounding the same old pleasantries. Not with Evelyn. More and more, I was starting to enjoy it when she challenged me.  
"Right after, I suppose I was excused from feeling anything, as I was kind of busy trying to not be burned alive. But now," She turned to me again, "How can I not feel anything? I wanted to be a doctor to save lives, yet I take one so easily. What kind of person does that make me?" This time, as I looked in her eyes, I saw the sadness that I had expected earlier. Unsure whether she would appreciate it or not, I moved closer, closely examining her reaction to my invading her space. Only today, she had decided to give me a second chance. I did not wish to ruin it. Never before had I been so careful and thoughtful before making a move. Normally, I was confident. Yet, now that I was confronted with an extremely emotional -and drunk- Evelyn, I was unsure about what to do. Part of me thought she would push me away as I laid a hand on her arm, drawing her closer to me. She didn't, however. Instead, she rested her head on my shoulder.  
"It does not make you terrible, Evelyn. It might make you imperfect, but imperfection makes someone special, does it not." I answered her previous question, lifting her head up with my finger, so she had to look at me. Her green eyes were examining me closely with a clarity I had not expected.  
"So you do not want me to be a perfect doll that does exactly what you want me to do?" I smiled at her.  
"I think you'd be very boring that way." She smiled back and in an action that surprised the both of us, she leaned in even closer and placed her soft lips on my cheek.


End file.
